Confrontation
by October Dalliance
Summary: (redone) Todoroki learns alot about himself and his apparant lack of self control. He and Bakugo seem to have that in common.
1. 1

Todoroki knew.

He knew Bakugo would be enraged. Beyond pissed. And he was.

As Almight hung their sports festival medals around their necks (and bakugo's on his face) he recapped their fight. Short clips of it still played in the overhead screen showcasing highlights of the festival.

Midoria's final punch, tesutesu and Kirishima's double KO, and then his fight. There it was- that moment. Bakugo charging at him, flames rising from both their skin...and then nothing. He'd stopped. The explosion of their impact should've been enough of a power display to rock the stadium, but Shoto had pulled back. He'd quelled his flames and left himself open. Bakugo stumbled in surprise and hit him with a subpar punch to the face.

Todoroki could still see the look on his face. Shock, and then almost desperation as he tried to get him to fight at his full potential...until finally rage.

He'd given Bakugo the match. Not to say he was completely sure he'd have won...but his spirit to fight had been depleted after his fight with Midoriya. The entire festival had been a whirlwind of emotions he'd had no idea he'd be facing. Other classes had bought a lot of unexpected challenges to the ring but Shoto had found the biggest challenges in his own psyche.

He looked over to Bakugo who stood a podium above him glaring back down. He hadn't taken his eyes off of him. Hadn't stopped yelling either. His muffled swears could still be heard behind his muzzle as the announcers congratulated the top three placers.

He felt guilty. And it exhausted him. It was another emotion stacked on top of the heavy ones already swirling in his chest. There was resentment towards his father, disappointment at using his flames, confusion as to why he had in one fight and couldn't in the next, stress from losing the match over internal distractions and the fatigue from the entire day was suddenly weighing on him.

And then Bakugo. He clenched his fists. He didn't even want to think about the boy. The look on his face when he figured out Shoto was backing out had looked almost...sad.

He didn't want to think about the weight that put in his stomach. He wanted to forget that face and his voice.

"Don't do this to me! Fight damnit!"

 _Dont do this to me._

He knew bakugo's goals- his pride and ambitions. Everyone did. And he shit on it by handing over 1st place so easily.

The explosive boy had effectively been able to hold Todoroki's attention for most of the year for multiple reasons. Actually, he had a way of holding everyone's attention, but Shoto had begun feeling something different toward him as they constantly indirectly fought for the top spot in class. He'd ignored that feeling however as there were more pressing things he needed to focus on. Not the fleeting emotions that came with being a teenager.

But hearing him say those words brought them back to the surface. He hadn't only let himself down.

 _Dont do this to me._

Todoroki exited the stadium after the award ceremony concluded and Bakugo was wheeled away in a different direction. It hadn't mattered apparently because as soon as the restraints were off, he could hear the blonde storming throughout the halls looking for him.

"Where is that half-assing half-n-half bastard!"

He respected bakugo's drive and goals. They almost mirrored his own but with the added fire of an agressive pride. The guilt Shoto felt at ignoring him in the ring wasn't intense, but it was there and enough to make the 2nd place boy feel as if he owed an apology. Or at least an explanation.

As if on que, the door to Shoto's waiting room was kicked in with a "CRACK".

The rage in bakugo's eyes seemed to intensify as they met with his target's. "YOU!" He stomped over to the boy and grabbed the collar of his shirt, snatching him forward in his seat. "What the hell is your problem Todoroki!? You threw that match!"

"I did" was the short reply.

"I KNOW THAT!" Bakugo spat, pressing his forehead against the other boy's. "Rematch right now! Get your ass back in the ring so I can kill you!"

Shoto actually flinched, much to bakugo's surprise. He couldnt know that the dual-haired boy flinched at the closeness and not out of intimidation however.

Bakugo smelled like sweat and heat and his breath was surprisingly cool on shotos face. That shouldn't have been something worth noticing.

Adrenaline still pumped through the blond's veins and Shoto was close enough to feel the battle still radiating off of him. It made him want to push him away. He needed time to gather his thoughts and Katsuki was distracting in more ways than one.

"I can't..." He responded blandly. He didn't know what else to actually offer the boy as an answer. Bakugo wasn't one to sit through a life story or an excuse even if Shoto felt he owed it to him. He didn't want to provoke him more, and honestly he didn't want to talk about it. He couldn't respond the way the other boy wanted him to.

It wasn't often that Bakugo directed his attention in Todoroki's direction.

Before the match, Shoto had challenged Midoriya directly. The green eyed boy was the center of a lot of things, including Almight and Bakugo's attention. He'd be a necessary stepping stone on his way to the no.1 hero spot.

Bakugo took personal offense and gave todoroki an earful.

 _"You talked to the wrong person. I'm who you'll have to beat!"_

Shoto had been surprised and even felt a tinge of excitement at the boy's acknowledgement. They weren't matched together at that point but Bakugo promised they would be. Shoto nodded, accepting the challenge.

Then he didn't deliver.

He didn't think the aggressive nature of his classmate would get to him, but it did. Bakugo shook him and pressed their bodies together in a fit of rage. Shoto was too vulnerable in that moment and the closeness was making blood rush to his head.

More than anything however, he was tired. He'd exerted his ice side and used a side of his quirk that he never did. He broke his pact with himself and was confused with weather he should be disappointed or not. He wanted to know how his mother would have reacted if she'd seen? Would it remind her of his father?

He wanted to see her. He shut his eyes tight.

"Like hell you can't!" Katsuki asserted, yanking his rival from his chair. "You're coming back out there if I have to drag your ass myself!"

Shoto heard his father's voice over the intercom as the speaker continued to recap the day.

It was too much.

He planted his feet and broke free of bakugos grip.

"You-!"

Before the boy could get another word out, todoroki grabbed his shoulders and froze his legs and arms together. The cold spread throughout the room, freezing the entire floor and frosting the windows. It hit the lights and they fizzed out with an electric pop. He'd overdone it but wasn't in the right state of mind to care.

"The hell, you wanna go right n—!" Bakugo shouted in the dark at what he thought was a sudden attack until his mouth was sealed. Shoto pulled the sides of bakugos collar and pressed his cold lips hard against his. Both boys inhaled sharply, one with eyes closed and the other with eyes wide in shock.

Bakugo swore he'd seen tiny licks of flame flutter from Todoroki's skin but was too thwarted to really process it.

Shoto held him there for a moment, his emotions spiking and over flowing as he pulled the other boy as close as he could, until finally, his heart rate started to settle.

He pulled back abruptly and exhaled, a dense cloud of heated breath rising up from the space between their lips. He dropped his head on the boy's shoulder, breathing heavily, feeling his head spin as he calmed down.

Bakugo stood stone silent in the cold dark room, mouth agape, unmoving, unbreathing, unthinking.

That was rare for him.

"I'll fight you. Just Wait." Todoroki said barely above a whisper. His tone wasn't demanding, but more like setting a condition.

He let his arms dangle as he leaned his head on the silent bakugo's shoulder for a moment longer before standing and walking out of the room without a word.

Bakugo stood, listening to Shoto's footsteps leave the room and walk down the hall. He listened until he couldn't hear him anymore and then listened to the silence around him as his soul seemed to slowly return to his body. The empty state of his mind would remind one of Denki after short-circuiting.

He exhaled shakily after what seemed like an eternity of not breathing. He watched the faint cloud from his breath evaporate in the cold dark as the gears of his mind attempted to restart.

 _What...the fuck._

He looked around and stopped abruptly upon remembering he was restrained. He looked down at his frozen limbs incredulously before red anger flooded back into his face.

"COME BACK HERE AND UNFREEZE ME YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!!"

A month later...

It had been a few weeks since the sports festival and surprisingly a lot of things had remained the same. Everyone had left for their separate internships for a while and then returned to classes as usual. There was still a lot of talk about the festival, but it was beginning to die down. There was also no specific talk of anything that had happened after concerning first and second place winners.

Todoroki sat at lunch listening to Iida give fake details about his internship. The two of them and Midoriya had come face to face with The hero killer in Hosu during their internship, but he pushed the secret to the back of his mind. Time had gone by and classes had resumed.

The only thing that was really different was Bakugo.

His usually intense demeanor seemed to shift whenever Shoto was in the same room. He stared at him, blatantly watching whatever he did. His expression would occasionally change from a blank stare to a confused skepticism and back, but the two never spoke to eachother.

Bakugo had apparently kept the frozen kiss to himself. His friends of course noticed his weird behavior but chalked it up to him being discontent with the results of the festival whenever Todoroki came around.

Even now, as Shoto ate his lunch, he could feel eyes on his back. Knowing why Bakugo watched him made the hairs on the back of his neck stand but it was much less discomfort that being confronted.

He wasn't sure what he'd say if he was confronted. He didn't have an explanation for doing what he did other than relieving the turmoil that'd been stirred inside of him. He'd felt tired and exposed and Bakugo was unknowingly stimulating his senses until he'd overflown.

Something in him had stopped caring about a lot of things that day.

He was standing on more solid ground now however, after mustering up the desperate strength to visit his mother.

He went to see her. They talked and then he went to see her again and again.

Something felt like it could begin to heal.

He still had a lot of things to think about, but his emotions at least seemed to be wound back from their unraveled state.

The ones he'd felt toward Bakugo would be hard to ignore now however. Most likely because said classmate had been abruptly made aware of them.

He sighed as he finished his lunch. Standing to clean his trash and head to his classes. He spared a glance over his shoulder only to directly meet Bakugo's narrowed gaze as he also stood to empty his tray. Shoto turned back to his table and sighed before leaving the cafe and heading toward his locker.

He'd left earlier than most of the students to avoid the crowd so hadn't expected anyone to be around as he slipped his shoes into his locker.

"Yo." A nearby presence made itself known.

He turned to see face Bakugo, who stood leaning against the adjacent locker, hands in pockets and frown in place. A nervous excitement pushed through his body but he ignored it. Horomones were a brand new type aberration.

"Katsuki" he greeted, feeling a static in the air at his name. It was the first time they'd acknowledged each other since the festival.

His classmate narrowed his eyes and frowned further. "You owe me a fight."

Shoto nodded in affirmation, not really knowing what he'd expected the boy to say. "I do."

"When?" Kaachan asked, as if it were a demand.

Good question. "Summer camp is here now but I suppose after that we'd need to get permission to use school grounds first for-"

"Cut the bull." He interjected, standing from his lean on the locker. "It's already been over a month. We're doing this at camp. Be ready."

Todoroki seemed to consider the consequences of an undocumented fight between classmates but nodded in agreement. He was right; it'd been long enough. He owed him a proper fight. "Alright."

Bakugo seemed skeptical of how easily he'd accepted but didn't speak further. He turned his head to the side seeming to think of something that knitted his brow together. He looked back to Todoroki and started to say something but stopped. He frowned and for a moment he looked tired and frustrated.

He looked away sucking his teeth sharply and walked away.

Shoto blinked, finally shutting the locker he'd stood there holding. Bakugo had wanted to say something, and he was sure he knew what it was about. But in the end he'd chosen not to mention it. Maybe it was easier for him that way. Shoto sighed. Maybe it was easier for both of them that way.

Either way, he'd see him at summer camp and their fight would put an end to the tension one way or another.

Or at least that's what he'd thought in that moment. Neither boy knew things were going to be drastically different over the summer.


	2. 2

~another point of view~

"I just wanna say...I'm gonna win."

There was a beat of silence across the Sport's festival stadium. Bakugo stood, alone atop the speech podium as a crowd of onlookers gawked at him. Class 1-A cringed at the fresh targets he'd just painted on them.

The arena floor erupted into a chorus of jeers and threats. Bakugo didn't flinch. He looked down into his class and found the two pair of eyes he knew wouldn't be moved.

Todoroki and Midoriya.

Endeavor's son looked up at him, watching him descend from the steps. Bakugo's declaration had been in major part, directed at him. The prodigy boy had made a scene in their class's waiting room before they entered the arena. He called out Midoriya in front of them all as if useless Deku was a threat to him.

As if beating him would prove something.

Bakugo had sat in his seat disgusted. Deku was nothing, but everyone always found a way to treat him like he was special, like he had something over them. They gave him attention he didn't deserve.

Bakugo had spent his life preparing. For years, he'd made sure he was the best, only to suddenly share that spotlight with that useless green curly-haired shit. To make matters even worse, the reality that there were students just as powerful as him, if not more, in his very class had weighed on his shoulders since their first field test. He'd lost to Deku that day. And Todoroki had won his battle in less than a minute. It'd put things into perspective. He wasn't going to just stand out amongst weaklings like usual. He'd have to prove he was the best. Prove he deserved to be at the top.

That made Shoto an added target. Apparently the feeling wasn't reciprocated.

Katsuki had everything over Deku; he was the biggest threat to Todoroki, but the idiot had pledged to beat Deku instead.

 _"You have Almight in your corner_ " Shoto explained in the waiting room. That was his reasoning for challenging him. It'd sunk a sickening feeling into katsuki's gut, hearing his suspicions reaffirmed. He'd noticed too. Plenty had.

Deku had Almight's attention. The favor of the worlds No.1 hero, that had inspired Katsuki his entire life, belonged to Midoriya.

To add salt to the wound, Midoriya was now prioritized as 'the one to beat' because of that favor and the sudden quirk he'd pulled out of his ass. If Shoto was a result of training under the no.2 hero, then that only logically made Deku the extension of the no.1.

Todoroki and Almight had chosen him. Bakugo was getting washed away into just another one of other students reaching for the top. He should have expected it. U-A was the best of the best. Everyone there was talented.

It didn't matter. He was better. He just had to make everyone else see.

He wasn't an _extra_.

Katsuki ignored the jeers of the UA students around him. Usually quick to fire off at nuisances, he stayed quiet and focused. He entered back into the crowd, bumping past Deku. The cowering boy from his memory didn't flinch. Instead, he looked at him the same way he'd looked, responding to Todoroki.

He could feel the answer without looking at the boy. _I accept your challenge_.

Katsuki was going to kill him.

He would show everyone who they should be focused on. Everyone would acknowledge him as the real opponent for the top.

Or so he thought.

Despite making it to the final title match, despite working his ass off and fighting for 1st…

Todoroki threw his final match with Katsuki. He didn't honor their battle. He didn't even acknowledge it.

After giving his all to beat Deku.

The explosive boy felt sick.

Todoroki had never used his fire before… but for some fucking reason, he had with Deku.

Had he rejected Bakugo then? He didn't take their fight seriously or he just didn't care?

Katsuki seethed.

He wasn't a worthy opponent? Whatever Shoto's goals had been for the festival, he wasn't even a factor? Because he wasn't worthy of Almights favor? He wasn't worthy of 1st place?

 _Unworthy_.

If he really tried to think back to the moments after the final fight, Bakugo would find there were gaps in his memory. He'd blacked out in rage and had to be restrained. Muzzled even. He couldn't remember them putting it on him, but he did remember being wheeled out onto the ceremony pedestals. Todoroki didn't even look up to him from 2nd place and Katsuki blacked out again.

WHY DID DEKU HAVE HIS ATTENTION?! He didn't revert back to only in my fight with him...Todoroki hadn't fought at all.

He'd won the Sport's festival. Deku hadn't even placed, but somehow some fucking way, Katsuki still had to feel inferior.

His ego was screaming. He wanted to cry. Instead, he erupted.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!?" He stormed through the waiting rooms in the arena, shoving past anyone who didn't move out of his way fast enough until he'd found his target.

Todoroki sat, looking dejected, alone in his changing room. Katsuki teleported.

"YOU!"

In honesty that was the only thing he remembered saying to the colorful boy before he was frozen solid to the floor beneath him. Frostbite cracked at Todoroki's skin as he released an uncontrolled thrust of ice throughout the room. Cold hit Katsuki hard but he couldn't react to it. He didn't get the chance to.

Todoroki kissed him.

Of all the things to do!

Why?

That was the last result he'd expected from confronting him.

Shoto's lips were dry and frigid from using so much of his ice quirk and being dehydrated. His hands dug hard into katsuki's arms.

Bakugo didn't breathe as he stared wide eyed at the boy kissing him. Only a fraction of his mind chose to function. It was just enough to notice that something about what he was doing felt desperate, and the boy kissing him radiated that same affliction.

Shoto kissed him hard, eyes shut tight, before pulling away with a heavy breath. He didn't look at Bakugo, instead resting against him and speaking.

Katsuki hadn't listened so hard in his life

"Just wait." The frostbitten boy whispered the promise of a rematch against him before leaving.

Katsuki stood frozen in the cold dark with his heart hammering. Shock sent trivial and simple thoughts through his head.

 _He kissed me._

 _I've never been kissed before._

 _That was my first kiss._

 _I didn't think it'd be with a boy._

 _Does he like me?_

 _Is this why he didn't fight me?_

 _Why did he look so sad? For coming in 2nd?_

 _He didn't try. I should be who's upset…_

That thought seemed to fire some fuel back through his cognitive muscle. A crush wasn't a good fucking reason to throw their fight! Katsuki attempted to turn, and suddenly remembered he was frozen to the floor. Cold gripped at his skin and clothes, only combated by the flare of embarrassed anger that suddenly rushed through him.

In the hall...

Kirishima followed his friend's voice up the stairs of the arena hall. Bakugo had stormed off a while ago and he was sure to have found Todoroki by now.

Upon that thought, Todoroki appeared at the top of the stairs and walked down past him. "Oh! Yo! Where's Katsuki?"

Shoto didn't answer and something about his demeanor seemed deflated. Kirishima frowned in confusion at the 2nd place holder. "Hey, are you ok-"

A sudden explosion cut him off. "Never mind!" He called as he hopped up the steps, running toward katsuki's obvious handiwork.

"Dude! What are you—woah. What happened in here?"

Katsuki stood, red- faced in the center of a dark changing room that looked more like a freezer. The chairs were in disarray and Bakugo had a single foot frozen to the floor. Steam lifted from his open palms.

"What the heck?" Kirishima approached the heavy breathing blonde and kicked a hardened foot against his frozen one. The ice cracked and gave way, but Bakugo stood as if he hadn't even noticed. "You and Todoroki duke it out right in the changing room?"

Katsuki rose a hand to cover his mouth and stood there. The red in his face seemed to grow darker as he scowled. He looked unsettled. It was an expression, not seen before.

"Hey, relax man. You won the tourney, there's no need to get so worked up on the small details." Kirishima reassured, assuming his friend was upset over his last fight. He had only expected him to be angry; he was always angry.

Bakugo shut his eyes and then opened them looking past his friend. "We're having a rematch." He balled his fist and left the room, much quieter than Kirishima had expected him to be.

The red headed boy looked around the frozen room again, wondering what exactly had happened that brought Katsuki down from his rage in such a way. Whatever happened, he'd looked genuinely unnervered.

Kirishima followed him curiously.

The next day...

Katsuki stared at his list of sponsors with a blank expression. The stack of papers stared back at him, but only the name at the top held his attention.

No.2 Rank: Endeavor

The famous Pro had surprisingly offered to sponsor him after winning the sports festival and beating his son. He should be bragging to the hoard of weaklings around him, but…

"You'll of course notice that the higher you placed at the festival, the more potential sponsors are willing to take you under their wing." Eraser head explained, leaning against his podium at the front of the class. "Naturally most students pick the highest ranked sponsor on their lists. It's strategically the fastest way to get your name out there. There are special cases however where it'd be wiser to pick a sponsor based upon their location and terrain specialties or familial ties."

Family ties.

There was no doubt that Todoroki would also be completing his sponsored training under his father. If Bakugo also chose him as a sponsor, they'd be together for the next three weeks…

Katsuki had never been one to run or feel uneasy, but the very thought of facing Shoto Todoroki face to face made him frown. He looked across the classroom at the white and red haired boy who sat attentively in his seat. He hadn't spoken to him or showed him any unordinary attention since the festival. There was no talk of anything outside of the highlighted moments of the festival and who's sponsoring who. No one had mentioned a kiss...so Todoroki hadn't talked to anyone.

Not that he ever talked to anyone about much of anything.

Either way, it had happened and Bakugo still hadn't been able to wrap his head around why. Usually his confusion would've exploded into a rage by now, but every time he thought about it he felt putoff. Confused and unable to focus.

He couldn't rematch the boy like this. Damn sure couldn't spend 3 weeks with him.

He needed to get his head on straight. Take some time and get priorities realigned. He'd done it before when he was too unnerved to focus...after losing to Deku.

He clenched his fist. He didn't need this fucking distraction.

Who was next on the sponsor list?

The No.4 Jeanist hero? Still higher in rank than anyone elses top sponsor.

"WOAH! U got an offer from Endeavour?" Kirishima leaned over his shoulder, looking at the thick list of offers.

Bakugo flinched and turned to glare at the red head. His teacher was no longer speaking at the front. When had the lunch bell rung? "Mind your damn business" He shoveled his papers into his bag and flung it over his shoulder.

Kirishima followed him to the door with a comfortable smile. Bakugo's harsh demeanor rarely broke through his tough skin. "I'm surprised you're not rubbing it in everyone's face! Sponsored by the number 2 hero? Man, you're really something." He laughed. "I didn't do too shabby myself though, so I'm not complaining"

Bakugo scoffed. Kirishima had a nack for making things seem simpler than they were. If Bakugo had gotten the same results from the sports festival he'd probably have gone into shock. The idiot hadn't even placed top 3. "You didn't even win your fight."

"I didn't lose it either!" The red head retorted. "A double k.o is legitimately the manliest way to tie!"

Bakugo laughed aloud rejecting the notion that anything below winning was even remotely acceptable. He reached for the door to the hall, but it opened before he could reach it. Todoroki stood on the other side.

His eyes widened slightly, not expecting anyone to be standing suddenly so close to him.

Bakugo's reaction wasn't nearly as calm. He reflexively stepped backwards, going frigid as he stepped out of the way.

Kirishima quirked a brow at the uncharacteristic reaction. It was quick, but he'd spent enough time with the blonde to recognize something out of the ordinary.

"Sorry, excuse me." Todoroki quietly apologized as he entered the classroom to retrieve some forgotten thing. Bakugo didn't linger a spare second, and walked at a quick pace toward the cafeteria.

"Hey wait up!" Kirishima complained, struggling to keep pace after a moment. "What's gotten into you, man? You've been hella weird lately! You can talk to me about whatever it is, yknow?"

Bakugo stopped outside the cafeteria and rounded on the inquisitive boy who chose to follow him throughout the school. He was ready to tell him to fuck off, but stopped.

"... Get your lunch. We're eating outside."

Outside the cafeteria, substantially less students sat to eat their meals. Kirishima and Bakugo sat at a secluded table near the edge of the extravagant courtyard.

"If you talk to anyone about this I'll fucking kill you, understand? I don't care if you use your quirk; I'll turn you into gravel." Katsuki warned.

Kirishima laughed nervously. "Jeeze. You must be about to tell me something really embarrassing."

"Have you ever kissed someone?" Bakugo asked with a serious face.

Kirishima didn't answer, blinking at the blonde across from him. Had he misheard?...no, couldn't have. "Woah this actually is gonna be a really embarrassing talk."

Bakugo ticked. "Just answer the damn question or get lost shithair!"

"Okay! Okay." His friend put his hands up placatingly. "Yeah I've been kissed a couple of times."

"On your mouth?"

"Yes? Isn't that what you meant?"

"You've been kissed more than once?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you." Bakugo scoffed looking away. Asking Eijiro was a stupid decision. The guy couldn't even take himself seriously.

"What!? I have! I had a girlfriend in middle school! I've even kissed someone here at UA!" Kirishima fumed. His cheeks reddened as he spoke.

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"I-I shouldn't say."

"Right. Bullshitter."

"I'm not lying!"

"Did you kiss them or did they kiss you?"

"She...she kissed me. She just ran up to me and kissed me."

Bakugo turned back to his friend with a serious expression. "You didn't expect it?"

"Well, no. It kinda caught me off guard." Kirishima reddened further, rubbing the back of his head and looking sheepishly at the ground. His discomfort swayed Bakugo to believing him.

"Why'd she do it?" Bakugo asked sternly.

"Why?" Kirishima repeated the odd question. "Because she likes me...I guess."

Bakugo pulled his brows together, letting his eyes fall to his food. That's what he had assumed was the case with his dual-colored classmate. Did Todoroki...feel like that? He could have just been fucking with him right? But that just felt like a stretch. He didn't come off as the psychotic type. Just stoic and fucking frustrating.

"Does this have something to do with Todoroki?" Kirishima guessed, thinking back to the weird way his friend had been acting around their fellow classmate.

Bakugo froze up.

"I figured it did." Kirishima sighed and rose from his seat to walked over to his friend's seat to sit beside him. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I can probably guess what happened, and I can tell you, it was only a matter of time."

The blonde boy paled. Had he been to obvious? Was Kirishima secretly that observant? "Only a matter of time?" He questioned.

"Yeah. You like some girl and you saw her kiss Todoroki, didn't you?" He patted katsuki's shoulder. "There's nothing that can be done about it dude. He doesn't even try. The man is just a natural born chick-magnet."

Bakugo felt like he wanted to fall out of his chair, instead, he opted to pick up his lunch tray and detonate it into his idiot friend's face.


	3. 3

SUMMER CAMP

Todoroki breathed heavily, wiping sweat from his brow. His head spun lightly as he held onto the rim of the cauldron he sat inside. It reminded him of the cartoons he'd watched as a child, where a witch would throw children in a pot to cook them. He felt foolish, and probably looked it too.

Then again, so did most of his fellow classmates.

Atop a boulder nearby, Seto shot his tape consistently, pushing far past his normal limitations. His face was balled in pain as he struggled to keep going. Mineta stood a few feet from him crying audibly as blood ran down his face. Despite his obvious discomfort, he continued to pull the little purple balls from the top of his head and toss them into the growing pile in front of him. Ojiro struggled nearby, doing full body pushups using only his tail. His sweat drenched clothes hung heavily to his body as he shuddered to keep from collapsing to the ground.

"Your quirks are a part of you! A muscle that needs to be worked like any other muscle if you want to improve it! Push your powers! Find their limits, and then shatter those limits!" Their Summer camp instructor shouted in a demanding tone as he marched back and forth between students. He ignored their obvious distress and came down with an iron fist at the slightest sign of slacking.

The most noticeable classmate however (for multiple reasons) was Bakugo.

Katsuki stood a ways away from Shoto, their quirks being too powerful to train simultaneously in close proximity. The distance did nothing however to muffle the booming sounds coming from his direction.

"FUCK!...AAAGH!...DAMNIT!"

Each swear was followed by a large blast as the blonde rose both hands toward the sky and released as big of a blast as his body would allow. Then, he'd dunk his arms into a large pot of hot water as the summer sun beat down on them. He sweat visibly, his sleeveless black shirt sticking to his back. The blasts were larger and more consistent than he'd ever allowed himself to produce. He stood with his legs apart, squatting in his baggy low-slung pants as he tried to keep his balance against the metronomic blasts he released above him.

Todoroki swallowed as he watched him, letting the wave of air from his blast wash over feverish skin. It felt nice, which inadvertently meant he himself still had a long way to go in his own training.

"Todoroki!"

A booming voice snatched his attention. He turned to see the kitten-clad drill instructor frowning in his direction.

"Melt your own brain!? I'm not seeing any temperature alterations! Get back in gear! You rest when I say so!"

Shoto nodded wordlessly, taking a deep breath and reaching his left hand down to palm the outside of his cauldron. He tensed his body and pushed his ice quirk through the water around him and into the surrounding area. The water around him froze and frostbite nipped at his skin.

Another fail. His exercise was to use his quirk on the area outside of his cauldron while maintaining his own natural body temperature. If he successfully did this, his body and the water surrounding him would constantly be room temperature, despite which side of his quirk was being used. It would be immensely helpful in battle to be able to utilize his powers without worrying about frostbite or overheating.

He was however still a long ways away.

He switched hands and repeated his previous motion with his right hand. The water around him melted and steamed. As quickly as he'd become too cold, he was now too hot. He panted at the high temperature beneath his skin, feeling dizzy. A harsh breeze from Katsukis most recent blast washed over him, bringing his attention back to his exercise.

Focus.

Class 1-A spent the latter half of their day pushing their bodies and their quirks further than they ever had before until the sun began to set and they were allowed to return to camp to bathe and feed themselves.

They gathered together in the small common room, chatting amongst themselves and reflecting on how grueling their summer camp had been so far. It wasn't what any of them had expected it to be.

"Hey! Just because it's more of a boot camp than a summer camp doesn't mean we can't try to make the best of it!" Uraraka hopped up from her seat. She scampered around the room collecting odds and ends until she seemed to find everything she needed. "Let's play a game!"

"Hell yeah!" Kirishima enthused, pumping an excited fist in the air. "I'm ready for some fun."

"That's exciting! What will we play?" Toru's pajama suit and bunny slippers bounced their way happily toward the center of the group.

"Spin the bottle!" Mineta offered aggressively. "No! No! Wait! Strip poker!"

Ochaco scribbled hurriedly on pieces of paper, ignoring the purple boy with the rest of her classmates. She dropped the folded sheets into a cardboard box. "There's an ice breaking game we used to play at my old middle school. You have a group of people and you write half their names in the box. Everyone in the box stands on one side and waits for someone who isn't in the box to draw their name. Then those two people write one word they think best describes the other! It's a fun way to find out what people think of you!"

She split her classmates down the middle, with everyone's name she'd written down standing on one side, and everyone else on the other. "I'll go first!" She offered. "I didn't write my own name so I could be an example." She reached her hand into the box and pulled out a slip of paper. "Toru!"

"Me!?" The invisible girl hopped.

"Yup! Here ya go, you write a word describing me and I'll write one describing you!" Uraraka handed the girl a pen and paper. They took a moment to write their answers.

"Alright! When we're both done, we show everyone."

Ochaco flipped her paper to reveal the word "mysterious" and Toro flipped her paper to show the word "PINK!" written in bubbly letters.

"Pink?" Midoriya questioned.

"Yeah! She always seems so happy and bright! Plus she's cute and energetic and full of girl power! It all reminds me of the color pink!" Toru explained happily. "And I can guess why you wrote mysterious for me. "She laughed.

Ochaco blushed and laughed, feeling embarrassed at the unexpected praise.

"This seems fun. I'll go next." Jakku offered. She tucked her earphone jacks away and reached for the box. "Mineta."

The two grabbed their papers and wrote their answers.

"Okay, flip!" Uraraka prompted.

The words "pervert" and "flat" were revealed. Mineta was knocked across the room.

"This is fucking stupid. I'm not playing." Bakugo grumbled from his seat to the side of the room. He rubbed the palms of his hands that still tingled from their excessive use.

"Katsuki." Todoroki read his slip of paper aloud.

Bakugo rose from his seat snatching a marker and paper.

"You just announced your disinterest in our game!" Iida proclaimed toward the scribbling blonde.

"Can it, four eyes!" Bakugo retorted.

Todoroki calmly wrote his own answer on his paper.

Considering the things that had transpired between the two boys, each was a slightly wary of what the other would reveal to their classmates.

Bakugo flipped his paper to reveal the word "BASTARD!" In large, haphazardly written letters before he was asked to. It was received with a chorus of sighs. His class had expected as much.

"Er...well, alright. We, um, appreciate the honesty! How about you, Todoroki-kun!" Ochaco awkwardly attempted to move the game along.

Shoto held his description up, and Bakugo tried not to seem overly interested in how the other boy perceived him.

"Feral." Ochaco read aloud.

There was a string of restrained snickers, except for Kirishima who blatantly laughed aloud.

"Accurate." Denki nodded in agreement.

"You wanna take this outside halfnhalf?!" Bakugo slammed his palms against the table.

Shoto was tired and irritated from exerting himself all day, so the temptation to give the loud boy what he'd been asking for was swelling in his chest...but he was exhausted. "I'm going to bed." He rejected monotonously, standing with his hands in his pockets and walking off toward the sleeping quarters.

" 'Course you are! I'm starting to think you're just a fucking coward Todoroki!" Katsuki spat, the fatigue from his own day aching at his muscles and already short fuse.

Shoto stopped in the doorway and his classmates tensed up. Bakugo glowered. He was in no shape to fight. Neither boy was, but the tension was enough to worry those around them.

"Ah! Wait, no! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea! We're all pretty tired, right!?" Uraraka flailed in the center of the floor, attempting to douse the dangerous atmosphere she'd unintentionally created.

"...right." Shoto responded without turning around, and exited the room.

The remaining students sighed in relief, except for Bakugo, who kicked over his chair before leaving the opposite direction Todoroki had.

"I suppose my game wasn't such a great idea." Ochaco voiced, apologetically rubbing the back of her head.

"On the contrary," Tokoyami stood from his seat to walk and reach into the name box. "I find this to be an effective way to further bond with our classmates." He pulled out a name. "Asui."

Tsuyu nodded, grabbing a sheet of paper. "I also want to try. It can help us learn more about each other in depth."

Tokoyami nodded, agreeing. "It's a good way to start introspective conversation."

The two wrote on their papers and then flipped them over simultaneously.

Tokoyami's paper read "Frog" and Tsu's read "Crow".

"You both talk about depth but chose to write such shallow answers!!" Midoriya exclaimed in disbelief. Class 1-A shared an almost therapeutic laugh.

...Later

Katsuki walked down the camp corridor with his hand buried in the pockets of his oversized shorts. He'd had a dream. It was a stupid dream, but it was enough to wake him from his sleep. He'd always had vivid dream since he was a child. He'd blown a hole through his bedroom wall during a nightmare once, but he'd long since gotten used to them. He barely recalled his dreams upon awaking now.

Until recently. More specifically, until the sports festival. He dreamt of Todoroki more often than he cared to admit to himself, and always dwelled on it when he awoke. They were never the same thing or really relevant to anything, but a few had woken him from his sleep.

In one, the boy had kissed him. It felt more like a memory than a dream. He stood frozen in the dressing room as the other boy clutched him. His brain struggled to remember the feel of it an entered its own details instead. Katsuki felt the warmth of the other boys tongue slide across his bottom lip and his body shivered to it. Todoroki pulled away, but kept his face close to katsuki's, watching for his reaction.

Bakugo felt his heart race.

"You kissed me…" he confronted, as if the boy were unaware of what he'd done.

"Mm. Want me to do it again?"

That dream had ended abruptly with Bakugo sitting up in his bed with a flood of profanities and a red face.

Tonight's dream had featured the recommendation student as well, albeit less romantic, it was somehow more unnerving.

Bakugo had dreamt he stood in the stadium arena with Todoroki once more.

"It took you long enough. Come at me for real this time so I can murder you and move on with my life you yingyang piece of shit!"

"You talk a lot of shit for someone so fucked up over a kiss." The other boy uncharacteristically mocked in front of their sea of onlookers.

It caught Bakugo off guard and his opponent used the opportunity to freeze him solid to a wall. Todoroki scoffed and walked away.

"Hey! Don't you walk away from me damnit! We aren't done yet!" Bakugo shouted as he struggled helplessly against the wall.

The was a familiar snicker from beside him. He tensed insanely, feeling his temperature flare. He turned his head to see Midoriya laughing at him.

This dream was also abruptly cut short by a swearing fit.

Katsuki reached the camp entrance and kicked the door open with the flat of his foot. The warm night air felt good on his skin and helped ground him in reality. His dream was a dream, nothing more. He worked to calm his riled nerves, taking a deep breath. He'd sit on the camp steps and take a quiet moment to himself...

Just like Shoto?

"What the fuck are you doing out here!" He struggled to keep his voice down, irritated that he just couldn't seem to escape the boy.

"I could ask you the same" was the tired response from the boy who'd apparently also wanted a moment alone. "You talk in your sleep. I came out here for silence."

Bakugo clammed. He didn't know wether to feel embarrassed or panicked. "What did you hear?" Defensiveness dripped from his voice.

Todoroki turned to face him again, quirking a brow at the wary question. Whatever he'd dreamt about, he obviously didn't want anyone else knowing and he was making it obvious.

Katsuki glared and waited for an answer, obviously being more concerned with any possible slip ups rather than what he was currently letting on.

"You want to fight me. That's what I heard." Todoroki stood from his seat. "I knew you did but I didn't know it was enough to dream about."

Katsuki reddened but didn't speak. The summer breeze blew leaves between them, swinging their hair and clothes at whim. It was a soothing feeling against sore muscles and for a moment, each boy looked too tired to stand.

Todoroki broke the silence. "I'm far from a coward."

Bakugo scowled but the other boy wasn't finished.

"I will honor my words. I'll give you the rematch you want." He took a step upward to the frowning boy.

Katsuki restrained the reflex to step back. Flashes of different dreams arising from his approach.

"I'm assuming you want to fight me at my full potential." Shoto continued, climbing the steps further until there was one vacant step between them. He held up a hand and made a face as if concentrating. A small flame bloomed to life in his palm and the other boy realized that was his first time seeing him use his fire quirk up close. Light danced on their faces until a stiff breeze snuffed it out. Todoroki lowered his hand and exhaled as if the action had taken a lot out of him. "I can't give that to you right now. With the way camp is progressing, I doubt I'll be able to face you fully during our time here. After camp, I'll fight you."

Katsuki kept his eyes on the hand that had held flame. What he'd said had made sense. Bakugo doubted he'd even be able to hold his own against anyone in the drained state he was in.

Although he hated how long this had been put off, he didn't want a half assed fight.

He frowned, putting his hands in his pockets and descending down the stairs past his rival. He brushed shoulders with him roughly before taking a seat at the bottom of the steps. He listened as Todoroki's footsteps faded toward the building.

The brief contact between their bare arms had shot an uninvited thrill up his spine. He frowned at himself.

"Is that really what you wanted to write?" Todoroki's asked, a hand on the door, facing away from him.

"What?"

"The game. Was that your real answer?"

Katsuki pulled a face, not bothering to turn around. "Stupid question. I wouldn't have written it if it wasn't."

"Hm...I think under different circumstances I would've written something more honest." The other boy revealed.

Katsuki didn't respond, instead letting his mind wrap around the words. More honest? Todoroki had chosen the most expected word to write, instead of what he really thought...so then what did he really think?

 _She did it because she likes me, I guess. -_ kirashimas words suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

He turned around to face the secretive boy, but the steps were empty.


	4. 4

HAUNTED HOUSE

The universe was teasing him.

Or something.

Bakugo frowned as he walked through the dark bush with Todoroki. Their camp leaders had suddenly decided to reward the students hard work with their first "fun activity" of the summer.

A haunted trail.

They were put in pairs of two and Bakugo had been paired with Shoto.

Of course.

Because, why pair him with anyone else?

Katsuki had noticed that he and the other boy had been in close proximity one way or another more often since the sports festival and it was starting to get on his nerves. Or maybe he was just hyper aware of his presence.

Either way, he had too many thoughts when he was around the boy. There were questions that needed asking, that he was frustrated for even wanted answers to. It made it harder to focus. His ego told him that none of that mattered. It was trivial high school bullshit.

His skin however, was covered in goosebumps and it wasn't from the haunted trail.

The two walked in silence, not exactly concerned with the forced 'creepy' atmosphere of their surroundings. Students hid in the bush around them, snapping twigs and shaking trees. It was a waste of time, especially considering if any real danger were to appear, Katsuki would just blow it up.

Instead, he let his mind wander, avoiding letting his eyes rest on the boy who walked slightly ahead of him. He'd come to the conclusion that his constant unnerving dreams were a result of him continuously watching Todoroki. Over speculating everything he said and letting the boy fill his thoughts. He would get his rematch eventually; he needed to go back to focusing on what was important. A more pressing issue:

Deku.

The fucking copycat. His maneuverability had suddenly altered drastically, almost mimicking his own. During their internship, he'd managed to shrink the gap between them even further. He wasn't supposed to be strong, he wasn't even supposed to be a factor, but somehow that fucking ant kept finding a way to crawl closer to the front of the pack… it'd gotten to the point that people were starting to make comparisons.

"Your green haired classmate, the one that broke his limbs, he got through to Endeavor's boy. You both wanted him to fight at his best in the area, but your goal was selfish. You had something to prove. Your classmate, although foolishly tipping the match out of his favor, was trying to help his opponent." Best Jeanist lectured Bakugo for days, while continuously trying to comb his hair into some type of contained pattern.

"I know who you mean." A sidekick pitched in. "Midoriya, the boy who fights like Almight."

Jeanist nodded. "You both seem to have similar goals, but you continue to fall short because you think like a champion. Midoriya has the mindset of a hero. He'll continue to prevail where you lack until you can see that. You're in the hero course Bakugo, not a gladiator arena.

Katsuki sat in his stupid salon chair, anger restrained as he clenched his fists. Why the fuck was he getting compared to Deku? Not Todoroki or any one who ranked in the top 3 at the festival. Not the top students in his class...Deku. "Endeavour proved everything he needed to prove through sheer power alone. Didn't matter what his goals were."

"And he's been no.2 ever sense."

Bakugo walked with Shoto, recoiling at the prospect of eternally living in someone else's shadow. What was he thinking, ever using someone else as an example anyway? To make it worse, he hadn't even thought of Almight.

Endeavour...Was he thinking like a no.2 hero? Did that mean Deku had the mindset of the no.1? Was he more like Almight?

Fuck it. Why was he drawing comparisons; he'd get to the top with his own hands, through his own means.

Katsuki scowled to himself, sliding into his thoughts. He distracted himself from his surroundings, losing sight of where he was until something appeared in front of him.

A head.

A seemingly disembodied head morphed suddenly from the ground in front of the powerful boys. They jolted, pausing abruptly in their strides. Katsuki had even flinched, coming back to the reality that people were trying to scare him.

Half the girl's face peeked up at them, showcasing a cheap ghostly makeup, while the lower half of her head stayed emerged in the forest floor. She blinked up at the boys, who stared, startled, back down at her.

She looked mildly uncomfortable with her role, but was probably forced to participate the same way they were. She sank slowly back into the ground with an awkward "OooOoo."

Todoroki looked over his shoulder at Katsuki, who just blinked at him in return, mouth slightly agape. Someone snickered in a bush nearby.

Katsuki shoved his hands into his pockets, sucking his teeth in annoyance and walked briskly pass the other startled boy.

"She got us."

"Shut the hell up."


	5. 5

Chapter 5. A drastic change of pace.

Todoroki stood frozen in realization against the brick wall that separated him from the chaos behind them. He realized a lot of things in that moment:

He could die. They could all die. Him, Yaoyorozu, Midoriya, Iida, Bakugo and Kirishima.

He realized he was outmatched and in over his head. He realized he might never see his family again and he realized he was stuck between two impossible options of abandoning his kidnapped friend to his fate, or dying in a vain attempt at a rescue.

How had things ended up this way?

Behind him, Almight fought what shockingly appeared to be a losing battle to a man he referred to as "All for One". Not far from them, Bakugo fought off the league of villains as they tried to escape the crime scene and take the outnumbered boy with them.

He could hear him. They all could hear their friend fighting to escape while they stood clueless and wide eyed.

They'd tried to save him at camp and failed. Watched as he was pulled into a warp hole right in front of them, powerless to stop it.

And here they were again, with him right in front of them while they stood with frozen panic etched into their faces.

Midoriya took a step forward and everyone jumped in surprise. Whatever he was about to do could get himself killed. Iida held him back with his arm and a stern expression. He was not letting him risk exposing his location OR his life on some reckless need to do something.

They all felt the same need. They had to do something. _Anything_.

This feeling before had sprung their class into action. When one of the pro's had used her quirk to let everyone at camp know they were being attacked and the villains were after Bakugo, everyone had rushed to aid each other.

Shoto had felt a cold sense of urgency flood his chest. "They're after the student known as Kaachan."

Why?

Because he was the top first-year? Everyone knew that from the festival. He'd won in front of millions effortlessly. Shoto had made it look effortless. He'd given him the spotlight that'd turned him into a target.

Todoroki, Midoriya and as many students as they could gather had rushed through the woods to where Bakugo had been taken. They'd fought for him and lost.

Midoriya had been crushed. Their class grieved and panicked at the loss of one of their own but Midoriya just knelt and screamed in that field. He screamed and screamed until he'd passed out from his injuries.

It was ridiculous that he'd even been conscious as long as he had. Despite a crushed body, he had risked everything for Bakugo. Todoroki felt a desperation from him that was intimidating even with crushed limbs.

When Bakugo was taken away, he'd spoken to Midoriya. There was something connecting those two boys that the class had noticed before but had been made apparent in that moment.

"Don't come, Deku".

Bakugo's eyes were wide, enraged and panicked. They'd flickered to Shoto's, and then he was gone.

The night ended in chaos and the first taste of defeat and trauma the class had faced. Where was their friend? What was happening to him...they couldn't save him.

They'd been evacuated and questioned repeatedly before finally taken to the hospital. There, time passed at a crawling rate and no one slept but Deku who hadn't awaken since fainting. No one smiled and rarely spoke as everyone tried to process what had happened.

Shoto hadn't meant to eavesdrop on his classmates, but found himself listening in on them as they were questioned. Most had the same frustrations and storys except for minor details. Except Yaoyorozu.

"I put a tracking device on one of the villains. The signal appears on this radar I created with my quirk. You can track their location with this."

He'd stood wide eyed and knew immediately what his next course of action would be. He apparently wasn't the only one listening in and having the same idea because he didn't show up alone to ask the Creation quirked girl to make another radar. If there was even a slim chance he could find Bakugo, he'd take it. He owed him a fight.

Midoriya woke and blamed himself just as everyone else had blamed themselves, and immediately chose to go after Bakugo. Their connection was blatantly laid on the table once again and if not for the circumstances surrounding them, Shoto knew he would've felt wary towards it. But there was no space in his heart for minor feelings, only the need to go get Katsuki. Even without his suppressed feelings, he wanted him back.

Everyone wanted him back immediately.

He was their friend.

Now, in the midst of facing an overwhelming power, Midoriya was the first to move again and Todoroki knew he'd remember the look on his face when he spoke. "We are not leaving him. I won't. I have a plan."

Todoroki followed Yaoyorozu through the large crowd of people their friends were hopefully in.

It'd worked. Midoriya's plan had worked and they'd pulled off a successful, reckless rescue operation and escaped with their lives. Shoto had used as big of an ice blast as his body would let him to make a ramp for his friends to rocket skyward. He held his right arm as it trembled, frostbitten and sore, but he didn't focus on the feeling.

He couldn't.

Instead he focused on the weight in his chest and the way his heart raced. He needed to see them. Needed to see with his own eyes everyone was okay and in one piece so he could finally calm down and feel some inkling of relief. His nerves were shot and his heart was racing from the adrenaline of what they'd just done.

He hadn't watched the plan unfold, but he'd heard. A choir of confusion and the constant whirl of Iida's engines pushing at full speed. Then he'd heard Kirishima shout and a second of silence.

Please. _Please just GO!_

And then there it was. A booming explosion loud enough to have Yaoyorozu reach for her ears. Bakugo had taken off! Midoriya's idea had worked beautifully enough to choke them up.

Now they just had to regroup. They pushed through the crowd of people flooding the streets around giant overhead screens that broadcasted the chaos still happening at the scene they'd just left.

A choir of cries and cheers rang throughout the street as the people all screamed for their number 1 hero. Yaoyorozu stopped and turned wide eyed to the screen, putting her hands over her mouth.

Shoto looked, only to have his stomach sink.

A skeleton looking version of Almight knelt in front of the large villain hovering above him. Was that really Almight? Was he really losing?

Adrenaline pumped harder through him as he grabbed his classmate and pulled her after him. "Come on. We have to find the others." If Almight lost, they would definitely need to be together to face whatever happened next.

Fortunately, just as they reached the others, the hero won his battle. The crowd erupted into cheers and there was Bakugo, standing among them with fists in the air shouting victoriously.

Todoroki let his hands drop to his side as a wave of relief dumped onto him, heavy enough to make him dizzy. Yaoyorozu, feeling it as well, erupted in tears. That caught the others attention and he caught Bakugo's eye.

The blond just looked at him for a moment, but it seemed to last forever. Todoroki felt his stare in his bones and almost wanted to reach out to touch him when the boy walked over to him.

Bakugo was okay. Shoto hadn't rested since he was taken and now here he was. Okay.

The rescued boy lifted a finger and pressed it into Shoto's chest. He looked him in his eyes as he left it there and Todoroki felt warm in that spot.

"You...didn't rescue me. You hear me?" Bakugo spoke as if it was a warning, but his usual animosity was gone. "You guys gave me an opening and I saved myself. It wasn't a rescue."

There was his pride. He really was fine.

Shoto let out a short strained sounding laugh and felt himself smile. "Alright."

Bakugo pushed his finger into his chest before letting it drop. The contagious smile on Shoto's face pulled at Katsuki lips and he felt himself smirking into a reluctant grin before finally looking at his feet and shaking his head.

Todoroki had an abundance of things he wanted to say to him; to say to everyone, but his attention was turned to the large screen when another voluminous cheer over took the crowd around them. On the screen, Almight pointed to the camera while breathing heavily.

"Next, it's your turn" the hero said simply and the crowd cheered further.

Shoto smiled further, feeling inspired by the man in a way no other hero had ever made him feel. He turned to Bakugo and felt his smile fade.

Bakugo stood quietly a few feet from Midoriya who sobbed uncontrollably into his hands. He looked as if he had just watched the opposite of what they had all seen, and on Bakugo's face there was no trace of the reluctant happiness from a moment ago. In its place sat a stoic calculative look. He watched Midoriya cry as if he was seeing a truth he'd been seeking for a long time and something inside of him was mourning with him.

It was there again. The connection between the two boys was lain bare in front of Shoto again. With no immediate danger facing them, he felt it this time.

The involuntary pang of covetousness in his chest.


	6. 6

Aftermath

A dorm system was being implemented for AU students. Parental permission was required and Endeavor of course had no qualm with sending his son to live on campus. He couldn't be bothered with anything outside of Almight's descent from no.1 hero status.

Shoto's father was the new no.1 ranking hero. The title he'd strived to achieve his entire life had just been handed to him...He was not taking it well.

It reminded Todoroki of someone.

He stood with the rest of his class outside of the new UA dorm as their teacher chastised them for the stunt they'd pulled. Shoto looked to Bakugo and thought of the rage his father had been in for days and wondered if it was the same for him.

EraserHead verbally ripped his students a new one before walking into the new dorm. For a moment everyone stood there, downtrodden until Bakugo (who was the only one free of the guilt of staying or going) made a move. He dragged a confused Denki out of view as everyone watched, until a huge wave of electricity went through the air.

He pushed the now fried electrical boy back into the crowd of his classmates where he proceeded to drool on himself and do things he'd absolutely be embarrassed about later. The group erupted into laughter and Todoroki felt the heavy atmosphere lift from everyone and looked to Katsuki who smirked with his hands in his pockets.

He could see it in his face; Bakugo understood the students who didn't come to his rescue, but he was also grateful to the ones who did. The last thing he wanted was a class full of regrets all revolving around him. Shoto smiled in his direction and it caught his eye. Bakugo arched a brow in return but then turned to walk into the building with his hands in pockets. "Can we all just go back to the way things were now. With you losers trying to keep up with me. Much more preferable." He called as he let the door close behind him.

Todoroki followed him inside with his class, noticing Midoriya watching the place were bakugo stood with a relieved expression. Shoto's own smile disappeared.

He had no right to feel any type of possessiveness. Bakugo belonged to no one.

The next few days it felt as if everyone had grabbed a hold of Bakugo's request to go back to normal. Classes resumed and everyone fell back into their usual circle of things. The blond himself seemed to easily fall back into his normal aggressive stride.

Nights were always a bit interesting with everyone getting used to new living arrangements but the class seemed to adopt quickly and effectively. They'd faced worse adversaries than sudden dorm rooms since coming to UA.

Something however, had changed since their rescue escapade. He could feel it at night as he lay to sleep. A feeling of restlessness would swell while he lay on his tatami mats thinking of the events he'd seen that day. He knew if the memories of the power he'd felt kept him awake at night, he probably wasn't the only one. In fact, he knew he wasn't. The walls in the new dorms were thin, and apparently the floors weren't much better.

Bakugo's room rested directly beneath Shoto's. If the blonde sneezed loud enough, he'd be able to hear it at night. Although he put in effort to not be invasive of the happenings beneath him, lately it was hard to ignore. At first it sounded as if Bakugo were occasionally having nightmares but as time went on it started happening every night. He'd hear him faintly, groaning or falling out of bed and swearing. Once he'd spoken, "why'd you kissed me?" And todoroki hadn't slept a wink that night.

It eventually got to the point where he felt neither of them were sleeping. He'd hear the boy beneath him awake and active till sunrise and see his sunken eyes as they passed each other in the hall. Bakugo would spare him a tired glance and keep walking.

Yaoyorozu and Iida seemed to be pouring themselves into their training with renewed desperation as if disaster could appear at any moment and Kirishima seemed to have glued himself closer to Katsuki that before. There was a definite shift in those that had felt AllForOne's power. An anxiety had settled beneath their skin.

Tonight it was no different. Todoroki lay on the floor watching his ceiling and letting his mind relive the fear from that night. He'd learned by now that there was no point fighting it. He slept quicker if he let it run its course.

He could feel the shockwave of the single blow that sent Almight sliding through an entire city block. He could remember the sound of yaoyorozu's panicked breathing next to him as he tried to steady his own. He could feel the dread weighing on his chest.

"That villain has been defeated." He tried to subtly remind himself but his attention was taken by a low groan beneath him.

Bakugo was stirring again, talking in his sleep or maybe fighting. Todoroki sighed in empathy and pushed a hand into his hair. Bakugo had been right in the midst of it all. He'd been in the most immediate danger and been held captive. Who know what else he'd seen.

There was swearing coming from the floor boards, tonight's nightmare louder than the others. He heard Almight's name and knew the boy would probably fall out of bed soon.

"Deku!" Bakugo's voice was clear and agonized as he called out for Midoriya and immediately followed it with the thud of falling out the bed.

Shoto felt as if chilled water was poured on his chest as he heard it. There was no way to deny that Bakugo had been dreaming of Midoriya. Maybe he had been every night in these dreams that were tossing him in his sleep.

Maybe they weren't even nightmares.

Shoto sat up from his spot on the floor. He clenched his fists in his comforter and inhaled deep. He shut his eyes tight pushing away the hot feeling that'd just spiked inside of him.

Jealousy was not something he'd felt before and not something he felt inclined to entertain. It was primitive and baseless.

But that didn't stop him from feeling it.

It was quiet as he held his breath in the dark. There was a "thunk" beneath him followed by swears. Then more quick thuds. Was he punching things?

Todoroki exhaled and ran both hands through his hair.

Bakugo was going through something and probably coping with traumas and Shoto was laying there battling elementary emotions. He laid back down and shut his eyes. He was feeling selfish things. If he was going to feel anything for his classmate it should be concern. He closed his eyes and focused on the quiet around him. Bakugo seemed to have gone quiet as well.

For a moment.

Then there was an alarming noise he wasnt even sure he'd heard. Shoto held his breath and this time intentionally listened closely to the room beneath him.

Sobbing.

He was on his way down the stairs before he thought about what he was doing. Todoroki made his way quietly down the hall toward Bakugo's room. It was quiet and as he got closer, he saw the door was ajar. He stopped outside the door and listened; no sound came.

He didn't know exactly what he was doing or what he'd say, but the broken cry he'd heard had his heart stampering. He knocked.

He waited.

"Katsuki?" He pushed the door open slowly, half expecting to be met with an enraged boy, but the room was empty. Todoroki stepped inside but Bakugo wasn't there.

He'd never seen the inside of this room and was sure no one had but it's owner. Almight bedding lay strewn about the floor, only halfway in the bed. And a desk lamp dangled from its cord, knocked from the table where it was meant to sit. There was a hole in the wall next to the window.

He had been punching the wall.

"What the hell are you doing in my room Todoroki." Bakugo's sudden voice asked from behind.

Shoto startled slightly but answered calmly as he turned to see the messy haired boy standing in shorts and a black t-shirt in his doorway. "I was looking for you."

"Well here I am. Now get out." He ordered in a stern voice but his face looked tired. He walked in and threw a fresh towel on his bed. He'd splashed his face with water but his eyes were red.

"I can't sleep." Todoroki explained looking at the sitting boy.

"what does that have to do with me?" Bakugo answered dismissively.

"You can't either." Shoto answered the question that hadn't really meant to be answered. "And you havnt for weeks."

"And how the hell would you know that?" Bakugo looked to the intruder in his room.

Todoroki sighed and looked up to the ceiling above him. It'd be embarrassing to find out, but Bakugo deserved to know that his late night activities weren't as private as he might have thought they were. "I can hear you. My room is above yours."

He looked to Bakugo who indeed looked as if that was news to him. He reeled in his shock and scowled away from the other boy.

Todoroki looked at the bags under his eyes and knew he wouldn't like the next question.

"Are you oka-"

"How about you mind you own damn business and get the hell out?" Bakugo rejected. He yanked his blanket from the floor and assertively went to bed.

Shoto sighed, dismissed. He walked to the door and stopped with his hand on the knob. He remembered the sound of his classmate's sobs. "I don't think any of us can sleep. Any of us who came to get you that day. I don't know if your worried about how we feel, but I'd do it again."

Shoto didn't expect much of a response so he wasn't surprised when one didn't come. He walked out the door and started to shut it.

"Your dad is the no.1 hero now." Bakugo commented, softly.

Shoto stopped in his place outside the room and looked in. "Yeah, he is."

Bakugo was quiet another moment. "Almight really can't fight anymore." It'd seemed like more of an affirmation than a question.

Shoto stepped back into the room and shut the door quietly. He leaned his back against it, looking at the lump of blue blanket that had decided to talk to him. "That's what the reports are saying."

Bakugo went silent again and Shoto looked up at the ceiling.

"What would you have done?" The blanket asked suddenly.

Shoto looked back to the blanket. "Me?"

"If they had taken you instead, what would you have done?" Bakugo finally allowed himself to sound as tired as he looked. He sat up in bed and put his feet on the floor but didn't look toward the other boy. "I...think I messed up somewhere."

What? Shoto walked across the room to Bakugo and hesitated a moment before taking a seat next to him on the bed. "Why? You escaped? Everyone came back unscathed."

He scoffed in response. "Not everyone." he mumbled. He turned to look out the windows making a pained expression. It was a look Shoto had seen him make before.

While he watched Midoriya cry in after the battle.

"Midoriya." Shoto started. . He could see katsuki's shoulders tense just by mentioning him. He felt the cold feeling return to his chest but focused on offering what help he could. "It was his idea that got us all out of there. He knows you really well and found the best way to help Almight by distracting the villains as well."

Bakugo clenched his fists into his sheets and pain pulled at his features. "Why Deku… why are you talking about Deku."

Because you call to him in your sleep.

"You asked about what I would've done. Hopefully I would've thought of something with similar results to Midoriya's idea."

Bakugo chuckled darkly. Pushing his face into his hands. "If it were you, you'd be like Midoriya".

Todoroki didn't know it, but that was probable the worst thing he could've said to Katsuki. He folded in on himself for a moment as if forgetting he wasn't alone. "I should have thought of something. I didn't do anything but be a liability in Almight's way." He sat up and leaned his head back. His voice sounded full of tears but his eyes were dry and full of dread and regret. "He can't fight anymore because of me."

The revelation took Shoto by surprise. Is that what he'd thought this entire time? Was that what he was feeling? Guilt? Blame?

Todoroki quickly opened his mouth to reassure his classmate but stopped. He thought about what he was about to say. Bakugo wasn't a baby and wouldn't take kindly to being coddled. He didn't blame the villains or his classmates or the pros for his kidnapping. He blamed himself.

"You're wrong. He can't fight anymore because of the villains."

Bakugo rolled his eyes at the overly obvious sentence.

Shoto continued. "Those villains were plotting something. Because of you, we interrupted those plans and took them by surprise. Almight was barely able to win even with us catching the off guard. If you weren't there and they had been prepared for the pro's...Almight might not have won at all."

He let that hang in the air for a moment and could see in Bakugos expressionless face that he was listening. "That fight was going to happen sooner or later regardless of you being involved. Almight was always their target. Rescuing you and hitting them before they were ready might be the only thing that tipped the scales in out favor." Explaining it aloud to someone else also bought an unexpected sense of calm upon himself. As if hearing it confirmed that they were indeed fortunate. Shoto inhaled and took a moment to believe his own words.

"You didn't rescue me." Bakugo stated suddenly.

"Right. Sorry." Shoto confirmed, looking down at his hands remembering the firm poke to his chest Bakugo had given him.

He raised a slow hand to where he'd felt his finger and Bakugo watched him through the corner of his eye. He looked to the window but then suddenly turned fully to face the boy who sat on his bed.

"Don't think all this gets you out of our rematch." He spoke matter-of-factly. "I don't want to be stuck in some fake 1st place like your old man."

Shoto winced at the mention of his father's current state but nodded in agreement. "I still owe you."

"Like hell you do." Bakugo grumbled. His eyes seemed to droop as he spoke. "Alright, im done talking. Get out, and don't come back in my room."

Todoroki looked at the boy who genuinely looked like he could go to bed now and realized that he also felt tired. "Alright." He felt better, As if finally putting down a heavy burden he hadn't known he was carrying. He nodded and stood.

He hoped Bakugo felt better as well. He couldn't imagine having the trauma of what they went through, added with the weight of feeling like it was all your fault. He'd seen himself as the reason someone he'd admired had been taken down. Todoroki had thought Bakugo was the only one safe from feeling some type of regret and failure from that day. He'd been the victim after all. It turned out, he'd probably felt it more than anyone.

He sat back down.

"What are you doing? I said get out." Katsuki questioned blatantly, but without his normal aggression.

Shoto put a hand on Bakugo's shoulder and rested his forehead against it. He knew there was a strong chance he'd be blasted across the room, but he felt the need to comfort him. They both needed comforting.

Bakugo stiffened for a while but said nothing. No explosion or profanities came. After a few minutes he relaxed and just sat still as Shoto leaned on him. They listened to each other breath without daring to speak and Shoto would've paid to know what the other was thinking. He didn't lean back, or offer any movements in return, but Not rejecting his touch however was a sort of acceptance in its own right. If Katsuki has even the slightest discomfort, he'd sure as hell would've let him know.

Shoto watched Bakugo's hand that sat resting between them. They were clean and callused from weights and training. It looked smooth to the touch and for a moment he'd wondered just how powerful they were.

He sat up and looked to the boy who's face was turned away from him. Shoo couldn't see what kind of expression he was making, but his body seemed relaxed, almost sad even.

Tired.

"Goodnight Bakugo." He said, as he climbed to his feet. The boy didn't respond and Shoto didn't expect him to. He walked out of the room and gently closed the door, but felt the familiar sensation of Bakugo's analytical haze on his back.

He lay down on his floor in his own room, feeling exhausted but with a new sense of peace. It was silent beneath him as he lay his head down with a sigh, listening for sounds of frustration. It was quiet and Shoto closed his eyes hoping that somehow his efforts had had a hand in that.

He'd listen to see if nightmares returned to batter his friend in his sleep. Maybe he'd check on him another night.

"Stop listening to me you piece of shit!" Bakugo shouted suddenly, as if hearing his thoughts.

Shoto flinched hard as the boy beneath him threw a thick book directly at the ceiling beneath his head.

Maybe not.


	7. 7

Slave

Days went by and Todoroki and Bakugo hadn't spoken again. That seemed to be the trend between them.

The provisional licensing exam had come and gone and Shoto sat in his dorm's common area as he watched his classmates excitedly talk about their newly obtained statuses.

He'd failed. Managing to find a way to be distracted by his own emotions once again. He sighed frustrated with himself as he looked out into the orange glow of the courtyard. The sun was almost gone and everyone had just returned to the dorm. He sat, trying not to dwell on the events of the day.

"I can't believe the top two students in our class were the ones who didn't pass." Mina commented innocently, not seeing him sitting on the couch. Kirishima nudged her with his elbow and gestured to his seat on the couch.

Mina squeaked and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry! Didn't see you there. I wasn't trying to rub it in or anything."

Shoto shook his head and dismissed it. "It's fine. I'll catch up to everyone soon. If I failed, it was for a reason."

Kirishima laughed and put a hand on Mina's shoulder. "Such an understanding and focused guy. You're lucky it wasn't Bakugo; you'd be in pieces."

Mina laughed nervously and agreed as the two walked off.

 _Focused and understanding_.

If he were really those things, he would have passed the exam. They were honestly the last things he showed on the testing grounds.

He'd lost focus on the task at hand and fought within ranks instead of trying to understand what was happening. It would've been disgraceful if there were real lives at stake. In the end it had cost him his license.

It'd probably cost him the sports festival and been the cause of most of his other shortcomings.

Being blind sighted by his own thoughts was no excuse for constant recklessness, but it seemed to keep happening.

He'd thought he'd made good strides with walking away from the hold he'd allowed his father to have on his mental state, but one single comparison had been like I finger in a wound and dragged him right back. He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. He'd known he'd failed before the results were even posted.

If it weren't for his father being stuck in his wallowing, he knows he would have never heard the end of it. Then again, there was no more Almight, so the goal to make his son the no.1 hero was pointless. Maybe Endeavour wouldn't care either way now. Shoto wouldn't be surprised.

He was surprised, however, at who had failed with him.

Bakugo was top in their class and everyone, all the way down to Mineta had received their license. Except for the top two, just as Mina had said.

It was understandably a shock to everyone.

Midoriya had been one of the most astounded. The shorter boy appeared through the dorm entrance, excitedly chatting on the phone with someone. Todoroki was happy for him. Midoriya had a tendency to stir a plethora of feelings within him: from unintentional jealousy and rivalry to intentional self awareness and comradery. It'd begun to make Midoriya feel like one of the classmates he'd grown closer to.

Midoriya hung up his phone and took a picture of the small laminated ID given to him upon successfully passing the exam. He looked up from his phone to see Todoroki sitting on the couch and smiled brightly. Todoroki parted his lips to congratulate his friend, but Midoriya's face switched from joy to concern in an instant. He'd forgotten Shoto hadn't passed.

Todoroki smirked, knowing he'd walk over to him with words of encouragement in an attempt to rebuff any insecurities that'd developed from his failure. In all honesty, Shoto might have actually needed to hear them. He was frustrated with himself. It reminded him of the way he had felt after freezing half the sports festival arena in a fit of anger. His emotions kept getting ahead of him and tripping his progress.

Midoriya was definitely observant enough to pick up on something like that and maybe his blunt addressing of it was what Shoto needed to hear.

Midoriya never got the chance to speak with him however.

Bakugo suddenly appeared out of the stairwell and walked past the green haired boy without looking up or slowing his stride. He exited the building and Midoriya stood still in his spot by the entrance looking straight ahead as if his thought process suddenly halted. Bakugo had said something quietly to him as he'd walked by.

Todoroki watched as Midoriya looked down to his new badge with an unsettled expression before walking away to the steps with an air of seriousness. Whatever Bakugo had said had unnerved Midoriya.

It was strange considering the usually explosive boy had been subtle with it, almost secretive. Shoto was sure, as soon as Katsuki saw Midoriya, he'd go on a rampage of "Don't think your better than me" and "what stunt did you pull to pass!". But none of that had happened.

There was something different in Bakugo as he walked past Midoriya. Something tying them together that had been stirred.

Shoto looked down at his hands, feeling something stirring as well. Why did Midoriya and Bakugo seem so vital to each other?

Whatever emotion was building inside of him, he didn't want to deal with it. He'd just failed a vital step to becoming a pro hero because of his consistent internal battles.

And here he was, doing it again.

Over a crush.

Todoroki slammed a fist down onto the table in front of him and leaned into the open palm of the other. He was tired of feeling like his own worst enemy.

He was his own obstacle.

The next day…

Bakugo's seat was empty.

Midoriya's too.

They had apparently fought that night and been placed on house arrest. They'd trespassed onto the training grounds without permission and gotten caught by Almight.

Todoroki couldn't focus.

 _Why?_

Bakugo was hot headed and was often teased to have the personality of a villain, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't risk expulsion over nothing, and wouldn't do something that'd get him punished this way. He had already failed the licensing exam and would be behind his classmates. Why would he do something that would set him further back.

He wanted to be a hero; he wanted to be the best. That was his main goal and all he ever strived for.

Why put all that at risk over _Midoriya_.

And why hadn't Izuku stopped him.

What had been so heavy between the two of them that even the timid and responsible Midoriya had blatantly broken the rules.

No. That wasn't out of character for him. Midoriya was known to go against orders if he was passionate enough about what he was doing. He had obviously been deeply invested in whatever had transpired between them if they'd gone so far as to trespass. It had to have been something he couldn't ignore.

Shoto. Couldn't. Focus.

Todoroki stood from his chair as EraserHead addresses the class's new status as pre-pro hero's. He couldn't make out what was being said around him while his eyes stayed locked on empty seats.

"Excuse me." He said lowly as he exited the classroom without asking for permission. EraserHead didn't stop him, but was quiet as he left.

That would probably be addressed later.

Shoto walked outside the school building and inhaled as deeply as he could, hoping the fresh air would clear the heavy fog of misplaced hormone fueled resentment. He hated the way his mind wouldn't seem to distance itself from thoughts of the boy he'd lost to at the sports festival.

The boy who he was supposed to rematch, had gone through lengths to fight someone else. To prove himself to someone else. Someone who wasn't even in the top five students of their grade. Why was it so important to surpass him?

Or maybe that was it. Maybe Katsuki saw Midoriya as superior to them now that he had passed the license exam and Shoto had failed.

But then in that case, why just Midoriya? Everyone else had passed to.

Shoto stopped where he was and turned to the tree at his right. He punched it out of resentment towards the boys who crowded his thoughts and frustration within himself.

Why did what they did even bother him? He was supposed to focus on his ambition and it was coming second place to his emotions no matter how many times he thought he'd had them under control.

He punched the tree again.

Even if he didn't take his goals seriously, he had no right to feel the way he did. He had no claim to anyone.

He punched the tree a third time.

Why hadn't Bakugo just exploded on him for kissing him and effectively snuffed out this fucking attraction?!

 _"How about you mind your own business_!" Bakugo's words played in his head.

I'M TRYING!!

"Aargh!!" He groaned aloud, looking up to the open blue sky with a burning dissatisfaction. He wasn't satisfied with Bakugo and he wasn't satisfied with himself for dwelling on what seemed to be the most asinine of his problems.

He turned to walk, only to realize his legs had brought him back to the dorms. Outside, Midoriya wore large yellow gloves, pulling weeds and doing grounds work as part of his punishment.

He looked up and startled to see someone. "Oh! Todoroki? What are you doing here?" He asked innocently. "Classes aren't over already are they?"

Shoto's eyes traveled down the boy's neck and along his body. He was covered in bruises, most prominent on his legs. Recovery girl had probably refused to heal them. Was Bakugo covered in wounds too? Had they both poured their all into that fight enough to beat each other into such a state.

 _For what_?

He turned without a word and walked into the dorm as Midoriya looked on. He didn't care; his heart pounded with an unwarranted anger and he found himself heading to Katsuki's room.

His chest felt hot.

He opened the door without knocking. He didn't care.

Bakugo was in the process of taking off a grass stained shirt. He didn't care.

He was covered in bruises and scrapes from the center of his torso to the ends of his wrists.

 _He cared_

"Todoroki?! What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay out of my room?" The blond questioned incredulously. He looked confused and offended at his sudden entrance, but other than that, he seemed himself.

He seemed fine. He seemed better.

Back to how he'd been before Almight retired.

As if he hadn't just fucking flunked the hero exam.

They were in the same boat. Why was he fine?

Had his fight with Midoriya really relieved so much of what had been eating him inside? Had he been the one he'd really needed to face to soothe his pride and alleviate his worries.

Was a fight with the boy who was important to you what it took to finally find stable ground? Was that the answer?

"Fight me." Shoto spat.

Katsuki's eyes widened in hesitant confusion but then he smirked. "Well that's what I like to hear half n half." He pushed out a demeaning chuckle as he tossed his shirt to the floor. "I don't know what has you all wound up and ready to go so suddenly, but your timing sucks. I'm on house arrest."

"Cut the bullshit." Shoto responded, using Katsuki's words from before. "Suddenly you care about the rules."

Bakugo frowned. "What I care about is becoming the top hero and I can't do that if I get expelled. Now get out. "

"You weren't concerned with that last night." Todoroki ground out.

"I don't know what your issue is right now," Bakugo replied, turning sour and walking toward the boy in his room "but I waited on your move for months. You can wait on mine for 4 days. Now get out before I blow your fucking head off."

He pushed a finger into Todoroki's chest but appeared to be more confused than angry. Shoto seethed in response. Midoriya was worthy of breaking the rules, but he wasn't. He smacked his hand away.

Maybe this was how Bakugo had felt after Shoto refused to use his flames. Unworthy.

"I'm not asking you." Todoroki leveled his eyes with Katsuki's, ice slowly freezing up his arm.

Everything Shoto was facing would be a prolonged problem. Something to gradually deal with over time. His father, his mother, his status, his control. It made his heart race and his ears ring.

But Bakugo? This resentment? Jealousy? Want? He wasn't going to walk around carrying and more distractions than he had to.

 _This could be addressed right here_ , _right_ _fucking_ _now_.

He froze his fist and swung hard.

It was sloppy and Bakugo dodged it easily, but looked astounded that the other boy had actually attacked him.

"Are you fucking serious?!" He shouted crouching to defend in case of another sudden move.

Shoto didn't answer, he simply shattered the ice on his frozen fist and then set the other hand aflame.

He was serious.

He charged at Bakugo, swiping down with his open palm, leaving a trail of flame in his wake. Bakugo jumped to his bed and then used his quirk to propel himself out of his room. He frowned at the wreck in his room.

"FINE! You want it, you got it! But don't think I'll take it easy on you when you finally come to you fucking senses!" Bakugo charged foward holding one hand behind him and let off a blast the sent him slamming into the other boy. They crashed through the window behind them and plummeted from the 3rd floor. Bakugo pushed himself up with his quirk to soften the impact but Shoto hit the lawn hard.

He groaned aloud but climbed to his feet as Bakugo crouched, letting little fireworks pop from his palms in anticipation.

"Come at me bro." He mocked.

Todoroki ate into it immediately. He charged at him and the dorm yards became a show of lights and sounds as fire, ice and detonations were thrown throughout the grounds. They didn't notice a panicked Midoriya running to find help.

Katsuki jumped backwards to dodge another swing and bumped into the building behind him.

"Shit" he cursed as he barely managed to spin away from Shoto's flaming hand. He smacked it into the building, missing his target and a blinding flame roared up the side of the building, shattering every every window in its path and scorching the wall. Bakugo breathed heavily.

"Stop dancing around and fight!" Todoroki shouted.

"I plan to." Bakugo replied simply, crouching where he stood and pressing his hands together. A quick stream of glowing blasts flew straight toward Shoto.

His eyes widened. He hadn't seen that attack before. He pulled up a thick barricade of ice between them but the missiles quickly drove a hole straight through the shield and blasted him hard into the wall behind him.

"You're disappointing me half n half. Midoriya was a lot more of a challenge and he had less room to work with."

Shoto jerked forward from the wall. "Are you stupid!! You talk about becoming a pro and then you pull a stunt like that yesterday!!" He shouted.

Bakugo looked at him as if he'd suddenly grown two heads. What kind of question was that? He hadn't even knew the other boy knew how to raise his voice. "You're one to talk! You're doin' the same thing idiot! Get your head out of your ass!"

Was it the same thing? The same feeling? The same _reasoning_? Todoroki reeled.

Is that what it is?!

Bakugo couldn't stop thinking about Midoriya? He had feelings for him? He needed the release?

Shoto could hear the memory of Bakugo calling for Deku in his sleep. His chest hurt.

"RAAAHG!!!" He charged at him again, fighting in a way he usually didn't.

Bakugo dodged easily and frowned. Todoroki had always been a long distance fighter but now was constantly trying to close the gap between them. Switching between flaming palms and frozen fists.

"You confuse me half-n-half. I don't know what I did to piss you off." Bakugo ground out. "But whatever it is, focus on it and come at me with everything you've got! Don't bullshit me this time!"

He lunged forward, using his explosions to push him forward. Shoto could see the discolored skin and scrapes from his fight with Midoriya and he felt his anger flare. He growled and caught the airborne boy but didn't have a chance to react before two glowing hands were shoved into his face and a booming explosion sent him flying backwards.

Todoroki hit the side of the building hard, feeling the wind fly out of his lungs, but Bakugo was charging fast. He inhaled and sent a wall of flame straight up between him, causing the boy to change the direction of his blasts and double-back.

The guilt of not giving Bakugo a proper fight was gone. This wasn't for him. It was for himself. Shoto wanted to hit him. He wanted to feel the impact. He wanted to pour all the bullshit from his hands directly into the face of the boy that'd caused it.

He used his ice to propel himself through the flames and straight at Katsuki, who hadn't seen him coming.

He grabbed both limbs and tackled the boy to the ground. He punched a fist into his bear stomach and Bakugo felt the air leave him.

Shoto pressed that same palm against his stomach and pushed a lightning-quick layer of frost over Bakugo's skin, chilling him to the bone. The blond inhaled sharply through his teeth as he felt the temperature of his body drastically plummet. He shut his eyes tight at the sudden sharp pain. Shoto froze all the sweat on his body, eliminating his quirk and pinned his arms to the ground beneath him.

" _You_ challenged the wrong guy." He heaved, mocking Bakugo's words to him. "I'm the one you have to beat to reach the top."

Bakugo shivered beneath him and forced his eyes to open. He felt frost bitten. "And I will!" He hollered, rearing his head back and then slamming it into Todoroki who had leaned down too close. He wasn't going to lose, with or without his quirk.

Shoto screamed, holding his nose as blood poured down his mouth. Bakugo used that chance to maneuver from under him and try to run over to one of the many fires they had started, but he could feel his limbs numbing.

 _Fuck_.

His legs wobbled beneath him as he shivered and then suddenly gave out. His breathing was shaky as he looked over his shoulder. Shoto was on all fours, holding his head. A head butt like that wouldn't keep someone down that long, but then again, he'd already fallen out of a building.

Bakugo collapsed into the grass, unable to feel anything around him. He'd never been so cold in his life.

Todoroki was powerful. He'd only landed one hit.

The boy across from him looked back. "Why." He mumbled.

"Wh-w-What?" Bakugo shivered; he needed to get up. He shuddered violently, wishing he could move his arms and fire one good shot across the yard to finally knock that idiot out. His vision was blurring, he couldn't waste his energy talking.

"Why is Midoriya so important to you?" Shoto asked, looking down at the grass beneath him. His arms wobbled and blood slowly dropped from his face.

Bakugo's eyes widened. And he felt as if that question had been equivalent to any sneak attack. "TO ME?! F-f-f-fffirst Almight f-favors him and t-then you! WHY? He d-d-deserved to f-f-fight y-you at your best, but n-not me!? Y-y-You cha-challenged him! Y-You showed him your flame! And then you— a-After all that, you-YOU…" Frustration and embarrassment piled onto Bakugo's face as he shouted unable to wrap words around what happened after the festival. He wouldn't be able to say more even if he'd had the words. So much for not wasting his energy talking.

His vision darkened around the edges and he locked eyes with Shoto as he also collapsed in the grass. Shoto's eyes drooped and he looked like he was talking but it was drowned out by the noise of approaching sirens. Bakugo watched with a numb body and dimming vision as the other boy's mismatch eyes fluttered shut.

 _Unfreeze me first, you crazy bastard._


	8. 8

Solutions.

"I told him no! I can't afford another-" Bakugo flinched in Recovery Girl's office, cutting off his own sentence to avoid swearing in pain. The disgruntled woman made sure they had no serious injuries. She was not being gentle to the boy who had just been in her office the other day for the same reason.

"I believe you." EraserHead answered, and looked squarely at his dual colored student who lay in the bed with numerous wrappings to his head.

Todoroki hadn't said a word then entire lecture as their teacher discussed the property damage and unauthorized use of their quirks. He didn't look at anyone or fuss as he was bandaged roughly. He just looked at the ceiling as if his mind was trying to piece itself back together.

He'd started the fight and knew his teacher knew that.

EraserHead had assumed something was going to happen as he watched Shoto abruptly leave his classroom. He didn't know what, but the look on his face was one he hadn't seen the boy wear before.

A quiet seething rage.

"You'll continue your last day on house arrest, but I know for a fact you didn't do everything in your power to stop things Bakugo. You could've gotten a teacher. You wanted to fight."

Bakugo sucked his teeth sharply and looked away. "I would've won if I hadn't been recovering from yesterday." He grumbled and winced as Recovery girl slapped another heating pad onto his chest.

"Todoroki, you however will start a weeks house arrest. You knew we had just dealt with an incident like this but did the exact same thing regardless."

Shoto flinched. A week. That was a lot of school to miss. Especially while he was supposed to be taking extra classes for his license. Would they even let him still try for it after this?

"During that time, as punishment for you both, Bakugo will be staying in your room."

"What?!" The blonde shouted. Todoroki looked to his teacher with wide eyes, suddenly responding to something for the first time.

"It's not like you can return to your own charred mess of a room" The tired teacher commented. "It'll also force you two to be near each other. If you can't coexist with a fellow student without becoming violent you don't deserve to be here. You're not cut out to be heros."

The two boys didn't comment, not being able to disagree with their teacher's judgement. It'd felt like a cold shock of truth.

Bakugo was tired of the cold.

"Damnit." He swore through his teeth.

Recovery girl slapped his head with her thermometer and he winced again "Language." She grumbled.

The next night….

Todoroki stood outside his door with Katsuki behind him holding a pillow and Almight blanket. He put in his key to unlock it and sighed. "Here we go."

"I get the bed." Bakugo asserted and bumped past the boy to enter the room. He stopped in his tracks.

Shoto sighed again. "There is no bed." He shut the door and walked over to the mat he usually slept on and moved his bedding across the room.

"This is why you could hear me. Pervert." Bakugo accused.

Shoto flinched hard at the comment and scowled at his new roommate. The other boy didn't turn around, instead just threw his pillow to the floor and laid down facing the wall.

They'd spent the last day and a half in the recovery ward with more extensive injuries than expected. Bakugo had two fights worth of contusions and had passed out from hypothermia. Todoroki had a literal fall from a building and was lucky he hadn't cracked his skull. He'd stayed conscious out of sheer force of will.

Because of that, their punishment was postponed until discharge. Sick days didn't count as suspension. EraserHead had talked to todoroki privately before leaving the boys for the day.

"I don't know what's been eating at you Todoroki. You don't have to tell me, but heed my warning because I should have expelled you. Stop being a slave to your emotions. If you think being powerful and studious is all you need to be a hero, you're wrong. Common criminals lash out because they can't control themselves."

Stop being a slave to your emotions.

Shoto looked around his room to try and fool his mind into being comfortable.

It didn't work. Everything looked the same but his room felt unmistakingly different. He was going to have a looming wall of silence living with him.

"Why'd you do it huh?" Bakugo asked.

Or maybe not silent?

Shoto took a seat in the spot he claimed as his own and looked to his classmate.

"Do what, exactly?" A lot of his recent actions were questionable.

"Any of it." Bakugo grumbled.

"Any of it…" todoroki responded quietly in a thoughtful tone.

"All of it." Bakugo altered his request. "Explain all of it. Now."

It wasn't often that the blonde asked for explanations. He simply rejected or blew up things he didn't like, and tolerated the things he did. Shoto couldn't find a real reason not to talk to him. The boy hadn't done anything directly to him...

Besides, could voicing the things he felt be anymore jarring than showing him by freezing him to the floor and kissing him? It'd be hard to beat that stunt.

Shoto looked at the back of the boy facing the wall. He wore his black tank top so Shoto had a clear view of the bruises that sat deep in his skin. The cold blue undertone had finally disappeared and aside from his wounds, his skin started to look normal again.

Despite everything, despite the fight, all the release he'd searched for, Shoto still wanted to touch him.

"I can't stop thinking about you." He let the words fall out of him. It felt easier than thinking of a roundabout response and at this point, why not? Nothing else had worked and he hadn't minded much if the other boy had known or not. He'd made it hard to miss. "I thought it was something that would pass on its own but it hasn't."

He looked to Katsuki who hadn't reacted like he was surprised, but he had seemed to grow quieter.

"You make it hard to think when you're too close to me. That's why I kissed you. You were just...too close. I was tired and overwhelmed and had a slip of character. As far as coming to your room...I heard you crying. It wasn't my business but my body just moved on its own. But after that I started feeling different." He gazed at the floor, not seeing Bakugo stiffen at his last sentence.

"I noticed how much attention you paid other people."

No, be honest. "I noticed how much attention you pay to Midoriya. I hate it."

Bakugo abruptly sat up and turned to face him, leaning back against the wall. He looked down his nose at the boy across the room with a frown.

Shoto looked to him, expecting him to say something.

"Keep talking." He ordered.

Todoroki sighed. "I don't know what your relationship is with him but I couldn't ignore it. Or, Rather, I can't. I still feel it. This jealousy or whatever it may be."

Katsuki's frown increased and Shoto's eyes flickered to the pout of his lips.

"Every Time you felt this shit...what did you do?"

He hadn't expected that to be his response to what had basically been a confession. "I ignored it." He answered honestly.

"Well maybe that's why we're here dumbass. I deal with shit as soon as it pops up, not let things stack up." Bakugo grumbled, annoyed. He didn't meet the other boy's eyes, but he sat in front of him, crossing his arms. His ears were beginning to turn a bright red. "You didn't do anything about it. You just let it get worse like it wasn't a part of you."

"I did do something. Now I'm on house arrest."

"Setting my room on fire is not doing something about it!" Bakugo spat.

Shoto involuntarily laughed at the sudden outburst and Bakugo's eyes flickered to him, and then away again.

"You don't seem to be upset with me" Shoto commented.

"Upset for what?" The other scoffed in response. "That shitshow you called a fight?"

"I knocked you out." Shoto mumbled.

"I KNOCKED YOU OUT FIRST!" Bakugo shouted.

Shoto didn't debate. In honesty he couldn't remember much about the end of the fight. Just staring at the grass and watching things get dark.

More importantly, he'd confessed how he felt and addressed his feelings aloud.

Had it helped?

"Well what do you propose I do about it?" He asked honestly.

Bakugo didn't answer. He stared across the room at the spot on the floor he refused to look away from. It was probably a lot easier than looking at the person in front of him. He looked like he wanted to say something and the redness in his ears spread to his face, but instead he scowled and remained quiet.

"You have an answer but you won't say it." Todoroki commented dryly.

"shut up half n half! You don't know anything!" He shouted looking at the boy who'd set fire to his room.

Todoroki sighed. He fell back onto his tatami mats and closed his eyes. "You're right about that." He responded.

He lay there, sore, wondering how a week with the object of his affections would pan out. Would they argue again? Would they fight? Was it even fair to take things out on Bakugo because he couldn't get a grasp on himself?

No. It wasn't.

He should apologize.

Later. When his head stopped hurting.

Shoto sighed, resigned to just take rest. He had a had a long week ahead of him with Katsuki being so close. He heard the other boy moving about and the lights behind his eyelids went out. That was probably his way of telling him he was going to sleep.

It was late. The first night would probably be restless for him.

He inhaled deeply...and everything smelled like Katsuki, like he was right above him.

Then he felt warmth press against his lips.

Electricity shot up his spine and he didn't even dare open his eyes until Bakugo pulled away. Shoto looked at the boy who leaned over him in the dark room, inches away from touching. His face was flushed as he frowned down at him. Only the light of his sole red lantern in the corner remained illuminated.

"I said do something about it, stupid." He said quietly.

"What the fuck" Shoto whispered quietly; his body reacted before his mind could properly question it further.

He reached his hands up and pulled Bakugo down to him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, pushing the other boy's mouth open with his own. His mind was an eruption of fireworks and bells.

He knitted his hands in Bakugo's hair and pulled him even closer still until the other couldn't hold himself up and fell atop him.

Shoto never pulled away. He wanted to bury himself in him.

This is it. This is what he'd wanted.

He pushed Katsuki over, rolling and pinning the boy beneath him without breaking their kiss. His tongue made its way into Katsuki's mouth and he felt his temperature rise. He wanted to drown him in everything he'd held in until now. He should probably calm down. Show some restraint or caution...but his mind had went into heat the moment Bakugo had shown the slightest green light. His tongue over took the other boy's as he kissed him deep enough to taste every inch of his mouth. He held his arms at his sides as Bakugo let out a choked groan that Shoto felt in his abdomen.

He pulled back suddenly and looked down at the boy who gasped beneath him.

"Can I touch you?"

Bakugo's face flooded with color and he scowled severely. "Don't fucking ask me. Just do what you want."

Todoroki looked down at him with a dark look and leaned down low. Katsuki could see something wild swimming in his mismatched eyes.

"Be careful what you say to me, Katsuki Bakugo." He said in a voice that sounded too low to be his own.

Bakugo swallowed hard and Shoto put his lips on his neck.

Katsuki shuddered at the sensation of warm breath against his skin and Shoto made a mental note of that before sliding a hand slowly up the flat of his stomach. The feeling and scent of his skin made his head swim. It made him feel starved. His body was warm and smooth except for the occasional scar.

Something in the back of his mind wanted to find them all.

Shoto used his tongue to trace hot patterns down his neck.

Bakugo put a hand into his own hair when todoroki released him to use his hands for other things. A feverish touch explored his abdomen and slid down his side, making him squirm against his touch. He wasn't sure if it was Todoroki's quirk, but the other boy's body suddenly seemed to be radiating an unnatural heat.

He had watched Shoto almost daily after the sports festival, not knowing what to think. That bastard...he'd never been kissed before. it'd changed the way the boy looked in his eyes. It'd affected him enough to follow him to his dreams. Dreams of more kisses, just further down. His pants felt too tight.

Shoto grazed his teeth roughly below Bakugo's jaw as both hands made their way up his sides. Bakugo groaned through his teeth and the room swam around him.

It was _fucking hot_.

He reached down and pulled his shirt up over his head. He tossed it away and todoroki raised a brow.

"Shut up." Katsuki grumbled in return. "are you doing something with your quirk?."

Shoto assumed to know what he was talking about as he looked down at the bare chested boy beneath him. "You're hot?" He pushed his face back into his neck but only left a trail of light kisses as he slid a hand down his abdomen. Bakugo shuddered everytime his hand traveled somewhere new. "I'm not intentionally doing anything...I don't use my fire side as much...I guess I have less control."

"if you burn me I'll fucking murder you.." Bakugo said through his teeth as his heart raced. A mischievous hand slid along his inner thigh. Todoroki lifted his face and put his forehead against the other boy's.

"Hmm. Just tell me…" Shoto slid warm fingers into the waist of his shorts and Bakugo's breathing hitched in anticipation as they locked eyes. He'd be damned if he looked away first. "if you want me to stop." He pushed his hand into his clothes and found what he wanted. Bakugo arched and Shoto silenced his mouth with his own.

He kissed him deeply putting the weight of his body on him as he ran his hand down the length of Katsuki's shaft. He explored the other boy with the tips of his fingers before holding him firmly. Bakugo was a ball of shaking anticipation as Shoto ran a thumb over his tip.

He twisted his hand slowly, moving up and down.

Then pumped his fist hard.

"Fuck!" Katsuki broke their kiss and tossed his head back. He dug his hands into Shoto's sleeves and the other boy watched in hunger.

"Does that hurt?" He did it again, knowing it didn't and Katsuki groaned through clenched teeth. He did it again.

"Fuck you." He responded breathlessly.

Todoroki almost laughed at his choice of 'insult'. He pulled Bakugo's pants from him before the other boy could protest.

He'd told him to be careful of what he said.

He pumped him achingly slow as he leaned to nip at his collar bone. Then his chest. His stomach.

Bakugo looked down, excitement firing through his brain. He watched the dual colored boy move slowly down his body, images from his dreams flashing through his mind. His hips thrust foward on their own and Todoroki seemed to hum in return. His tongue swirled at his hip and he lifted his mouth. Katsuki didn't breath as he watched through hazed eyes. Shoto glanced up at him and he felt his heart skip a beat.

Todoroki took him fully into his mouth.

"Yesssssssss" Bakugo's head fell back and his body flooded with heat. His mouth was so warm. He breathed in rhythm to Shoto's movement as he sucked on him softly. The wetness of his mouth made sounds that he'd never thought would drive him crazy.

Shoto held Katsuki's hips as he licked the whole of his shaft. His own member throbbed at the taste and he groaned pulling him back into his mouth. He held the base of his shaft and pushed up with his thumb as he sucked hard. Bakugo was flat on his back with his hands in his hair at this point. Shoto only let up to glide his tongue across the top of his dick.

"Ffffffffuck" Bakugo slurred in a restrained whisper as Shoto's tongue danced around him. He groaned his name and Shoto staggered at how stupidly happy he felt. His ears rang and he felt Katsuki's hand latch onto his hair. "Wait. Stop...stop you idiot". the blonde warned.

Shoto didn't stop and it didn't take long after that.

Not long at all.

Katsuki thrust his hips upward into the other boy's mouth as he came. He swore and cussed unintelligibly under his breath as his orgasm pulled at him until he was a heaving mess on the floor.

He breathed heavily and pushed up onto his elbows. His hair stuck out in crazed directions and stuck to the back of his neck. He looked to the boy in front of him, feeling his head spin. "You fucking-..." his eyes widened.

Todoroki sat in front of him, mouth full, looking at a loss of what to do.

Bakugo's face flared.

He turned to grab his discarded shirt and tossed it at the other boy's face before turning away. "Idiot" he mumbled under his breath.

He tried to ignore the various sounds coming from behind him before Shoto spoke. "I got carried away."

"No shit." Katsuki rubbed at the new marks on his neck that blended with his bruises. He looked back at todoroki who rose to his feet to get bottles of water out of the small fridge beneath his bookshelf. He handed one to Bakugo who noted the stiff way the other boy was walking. "I'll be back." He took a swig of his drink. "Bathroom."

Shoto watched as he put on his pants, not bothering to find a useable shirt, and left the room. He watched his shoulders until the door shut.

He felt light and hot. A warm sense of being accepted in his chest. He assumed it could only be the relief that comes with not being rejected by your interest.

But his thoughts were fogged.

The erection pushing against the waist of his pants as he knelt was going to be uncomfortable to sleep on. Too uncomfortable, especially with it's cause laying so close.

And the memory of his skin and smell so fresh.

His _taste_ …

Shoto's abdomen throbbed and he inhaled deeply. It was indeed going to be a long night.

He heard the door to his room shut as his roommate returned.

Bakugo sat close behind him with a leg on each side. Shoto spun his head in surprise to see the boy who's legs he sat between. Katsuki avoided it however resting his head on his back, between his shoulder blades. He slid his arms around his waist and buried his face into the back of his shirt.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered, mocking his earlier question. He pushed down the front of Shoto's pants to expose him.

"Wait, you don't have to-" Shoto inhaled shakily. "Wait." This entire ordeal had been spontaneous on Katsuki's part. Bakugo had been more than accommodating of his desires, which was extremely unexpected. His reciprocation was expected even less.

"Wait?" Bakugo asked incredulously. "Hell no. You weren't cautious with me at all shithead."

Shithead. That was a new one. Almost endearing.

Bakugo pushed his hand into Todoroki's pants, pulling him completely free of his waistband's restraint. He locked an arm around his torso, pulling Shoto close as he breathed into his shirt. "Your turn." He rasped. Todoroki shuddered at the at his declaration and the feel of cool breath against his back.

Bakugo moved his hand.

Again and again and again and again.

Shoto gasped, leaning forward. It felt good. It felt _so good_. The hunger inside of him ignited and he clenched his jaw. He put his face in his hand and put the other hand on the floor. Bakugo held him tighter against him

Sparks flew in Shoto's vision as his classmate twisted the base of his shaft, pushing down as he did so. He felt his temperature spike further than before and tried not to cry out in pleasure. Dual-Colored hair stuck to his face as Bakugo reached around to stroke him fully.

Shoto was losing focus and his quirk flared. He'd wanted this too much. His body was screaming for it. Small flames fluttered past his lips. He leaned further foward, hanging his head low as he shuddered through Katsuki's touch. He could see fire swirling in his vision.

"No." Bakugo clenched his free hand into his roommates hair and pulled his head back far enough to see his face. "Let me see you." He pumped Shoto hard and fast and todoroki moaned aloud. He panted sparks at the open air with eyes open but unseeing.

Katsuki was straight forward and didn't tease like the other surprisingly did. His headstrong personality showing, even here. His movements and restraint were intense and pushed Shoto to the point of breaking. All common sense fell from him as he focused on the push and pull that seemed to travel his entire body. He called out to Bakugo who responded by sliding his hand up Shoto's shirt and stopping at the base of his neck. He held his throat, keeping his head tilted back and never stopped running his other hand up and down his shaft. He squeezed him tighter and spoke lowly in his ear as Shoto panted his name aloud. "Shut up."

"ah-hnn... Haah." Shoto arched his back and gasped to the pace Katsuki kept. He felt like he was going to burst, his head full of sparks and flashes. He felt his climax rising to the surface and he squirmed in Bakugo's hold. He panted loudly as his bangs stuck to his face. "Katsu—mmph!"

"Shut the fuck up stupid!" Bakugo growled in his ear, while not slowing his pace and keeping his free hand clasped over shoto's tattletale mouth. He nuzzled his face into his hair as he watched small flames flicker out from his hair. Hopefully the boy wouldn't literally combust. "Have you ever done this before?"

Shoto shook his head, breathing quickly through his nose as his eyes watered. He was at his limit.

"If we're caught, it'll be difficult to do this again." Bakugo whispered against his ear.

Shoto threw his head back and shut his eyes tight as he came hard in Bakugo's grip. That didn't stop the other boy's motions though. He pumped him through and Shoto groaned uncontrollably behind Katsuki's hand. He clenched his fingers into Bakugo's thighs and felt like his mind was melting. His hips pushed forward as he released onto himself and anything of close range in front of him.

Bakugo slid his hand slowly along his length one last time, pressing his thumb along the slit at the end and feeling the wet warmth between his fingers.

Shoto slumped against him. He moved his hand and finally let his breathe fully. Shoto panted deep breaths and shuddered. He leaned there against his roommate with eyes half shut.

Bakugo reached for the shirt that'd had the unfortunate fate of becoming their towel.

"I think you over did it again" he whispered in his ear as he dried his hands.

(This story was posted without edits. Hopefully I will go back through and correct it one day. It's possible extra chapters will come, but this is the complete version.)


	9. 9

"What the hell are you doing in my seat shithair?"

Kirishima abruptly sat up at Bakugo's desk. He'd chosen to sit there everyday his friend had been suspended. 'In honor of his memory.' He'd explained to his questioning classmates, who responded with exasperated sighs. "Katsuki!! You're back." He exclaimed. He jumped from the chair almost in slow motion as the world around him sparkled at his reuniting with his grumpy friend. He spread his arms wide and skipped to hug his friend.

Bakugo blew him up.

It was fine. Kirishima had expected it.

He pushed himself up from the floor laughing and deactivating his hardening quirk. "Nice to see jail time hasn't broken your spirit."

"You're as annoying as ever." Bakugo dismissed, taking a seat at his desk. He lifted the top to retrieve his books, but was distracted instead.

Flowers poured from his desk and rained down onto the floor around his feet. Bakugo's eye twitched. "What...the hell is this."

"A show of our love and support!" Denki appeared behind the blonde placing a hand on his shoulder. "We held a proper funeral for you after finding out Eraserhead was incharge of your punishment."

Kirishima stood behind him, restraining his laughter and cleared his throat. "We even put Satou up to making a cake for you today. It's shaped like a heart."

Bakugo blew them both up.

"Take your seats." EraserHead instructed dryly, entering the classroom. "Why are there flowers every-nevermind." He sighed, opening his attendance book.

"Katsuki Bakugo."

"Here."

"He lives!" Denki murmured from a few desks away, earning a few chuckles."

"Hey. So what's up with all the fights." Kirishima whispered, leaning forward to poke a finger in Bakugo's spine. "You don't usually go all out like that. You three fighting for top bragging rights or something?" He nudged his head in the direction of the attentive Midoriya and the absent todoroki.

"Shut up shithair." Katsuki ignored.

"Wealmosthavethesamehair!" He retorted. "But really Katsuki, you've gotta tell me what's been going on in your head…"

Katsuki leaned into his hand and let his eyes pan over to the empty seat Todoroki usually occupied. No one had been competing. Shoto had lashed out in a pent up frustration with himself. Bakugo had done the same with Midoriya. It was part of the reason he had went along with Shoto's fight in the first place. He could tell the boy wasn't in his right state of mind, and whatever had been weighing on him caused him to make the same expression Bakugo had made before. He'd looked lost and angry. Empathy was a strange thing.

Katsuki knew he'd been a hypocrite when he'd told Shoto to just confront his feelings immediately. He'd worked himself up to the point of being an idiot too. He looked to Midoriya who raised his hand in attendance, but someone else caught his eye. His teacher eyed him levelly and Katsuki raised a brow. EraserHead however turned back to the board and begun the days class.

Other than his strange reception back into the classroom, the rest of Katsuki's day seemed to progress as usual. He had a shitload of makeup work to catch up on and a new training regimen to learn, but he could handle it. He wasn't an idiot, and 4days of work was just at the border of overwhelming. He couldn't imagine what Todoroki's workload would look like after coming back from a week.

He put on his back pack, preparing to return to the dorm with his friends. He hesitated.

"C'mon dude. Satou has cake for us waiting back at the dorm." Kirishima nagged.

"Go ahead. I'll be there later." Katsuki walked back up the stairs, not answering his friends when they shouted inquiries toward what he was going to do.

The sun was starting to set and it cast a red orange glow into UA's empty halls. Bakugo stood outside his classroom with a frown knowing he was about to do something out of his character.

He entered the room and Eraserhead sat in a chair patiently. He looked as if he'd been waiting for him.

"Hello Bakugo."

"I have a question." He got straight to the point. "Can you give me duplicates of the work for the next week?"

His teacher turned to face him fully. "For Todoroki?"

Bakugo's face reddened. It was obvious why he'd asked, but it didn't stop the embarrassment. "yeah".

"That's unlike you. Big change from knocking him out of a window."

Bakugo huffed. "Look, I thought you wanted us to try to get along. Are you going to give me the work or not?"

"No." Eraserhead answered dryly.

Bakugo sucked his teeth and headed for the door without protesting. He'd tried and was embarrassed. Time to go.

"Unless," his teacher added without emphasis. "You're honest with me, because I also have a question."

Bakugo stopped and turned to his teacher, hands in pocket.

"What happened last night?" His teacher asked without a hint in his voice.

Katsuki swore he could hear his mind come to a screeching halt. He blinked stunned and panicked. Lie.

 _Unless you're honest with me._

He looked away silently. What the hell...did he already know? How? Who else knew?

He sucked his teeth. What the fuck did he want him to admit to? Because he wasn't going to verbalize _any_ of that.

EraserHead sighed, watching his abnormally quiet student change colors in front of him. "I'll make it easier for you and be specific. Do you think you exercised restraint?"

"We didn't fight" he answered.

"That's not what I asked." His teacher responded, watching him knowingly.

Bakugo sucked his teeth. He watched the floor by his shoe uncomfortably. He should have just went to the dorm. Shoto wasn't worth…

… damnit.

"No. I didn't." He answered truthfully.

"So you understand you're not learning the fundamentals of this lesson. The point wasn't to get you to get along. It was to have you work on self control; something you both seem to be lacking." His teacher stood from his desk and walked to stand in front of Bakugo.

Bakugo looked up, meeting his gaze and not looking away. "Am I back on house arrest?" Or expelled, he wondered to himself. He was sure there were rules about this type of thing on campus grounds, not that he really knew any of the rules.

"No, you're not. But your parents have been notified. If I had known the frustrations between you two were...of this nature, I would have never roomed you together."

"Shit" Bakugo averted his eyes once more, frowning. Great. His mom was going to bust a hole in the side of his head.

"You've been kidnapped, in two fights and now this rooming situation. The school consequently has accepted full responsibility for all these mishaps. We've let her know she has our support and understanding so if she wants to withdraw you..." Bakugo paled and his teacher didn't finish. She wouldn't, right? "She's opted to come to the school to speak to you before making a decision. She should be on her way to your dorm now."

Great. His mom was going to bust a hole in his head in front of Kirishima.

Bakugo groaned and walked in irritated defeat out the door.

"Pick up the folder for todoroki in the morning." His teacher called, but Bakugo missed his teacher's reassurance that he'd still attend his school tomorrow.

...at the dorm

Todoroki knelt in his own room feeling incredibly out of place. Bakugo's mother sat squarely in front of him smiling kindly as she chatted with him about idle things.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" She questioned in a light tone. Her voice was raspy but pleasant.

Shoto nodded, kneeling with a straight spine and hands folded in his lap. He'd been taught to sit properly as a sign of respect to authority. His father being the no.2 hero and still unworthy of his respect set Todoroki's standards for the word pretty high.

But this, this felt mandatory. A regard you gave to someone who you owed a debt to. Someone who had every right to be mad at you.

He'd dragged her son into a mess, and he knew how intense a mother's feelings toward her children could be. He himself should be in trouble, but his father hadn't bothered to show. He couldn't help but feel this was going to be the dose of parental reprimand he'd been due to receive.

"So you both sleep on these mats then?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Hah! I'm sure that was a culture shock for Katsuki."

She continued to ask trivial questions and give compliments on the design of his room until his bedroom door cracked open.

"Well there's my delinquent of a son!" Her calm and smiling demeanor combusted as soon as she'd seen a strand of Katsuki. A shoe he hadn't seen her remove, flew across the room and somehow curved to hit the boy behind the door. Smack. Todoroki blinked.

She was up on her feet stomping across the room. "Two fights in one week! TWO!You want to be a hero but you can't even stop getting phone calls home!" She whacked him sharply on the back of the head before he'd even gotten the chance to enter the room.

"Hahaaaa!!" Kirishima erupted in the hallway. The older female version of his friend shot him a familiar threatening look before he hurried away.

The scowling mother snatched her son's ear and slammed the door.

"I wasn't tryna get in trouble!" He protested, hunched as he was dragged by the ear across the room.

"Oh and I'm sure you were just powerless to stop things. What about the other boy? Your friend from elementary school, you didn't start that fight with him?" She berated.

Katsuki frowned and didn't answer.

"That's what I though. I don't know where the hell you get this temper from!" She crossed her arms.

Shoto refrained from looking at her incredulously, lest he be her next target. He was still trying to get past the whiplash of her sudden personality swap.

She sat down and yanked her son down with her as he rubbed her ear. "I have every mind to kick your ass right here...and why were you late! You just got off suspension, you should've been back here STAT catching up on all your work. That handsome teacher of yours gave me a rundown on all the work you missed while you were on lockdown for being a shitty student! You feel like you've got free time hot stuff?!"

 _Handsome_??? The boys thought in unison.

"He said you cost thousands in property damage! Really Katsuki?! If they would have charged me for any of this, it was goin' to come out of YOUR ASS. Do you hear me? Irritating kid." She pointes a finger in Shoto's direction and he flinched. "Isn't this the nice boy you beat at the sports festival? That wasn't enough?"

Katsuki shot his roomate a look that wavered between a threat and an embarrassed panic. Shoto felt himself watching fondly however as Mrs.Bakugo continued to verbally assault her child. She smacked him on the head again and turned to face the dual-colored boy.

Shoto flinched again.

"Now, as for the real reason I was called," she sighed, scooting closer and pulling her son with her. "I didn't think I would have to deal with things like this from you for a while, but I suppose you are that age."

"Oh please. Don't st-" Bakugo was hit again.

"Shut up, idiot boy! If you were capable of handling yourself I wouldn't be here now would I?!" She huffed and turned her attention, stiffening the other boy in the room. "Now, Todoroki-kun, I suppose I should say this while you're both here. I don't mind Katsuki having a relationship while he's in school." Bakugo's eyes bulged as he stared at the carpet. Todoroki did the same but didn't avert his gaze from the woman in front of him.

The school had told their parents everything.

"You're a very handsome boy and I honestly would be honored to meet you parents. If you two got married, id suddenly be related to a celebrity!"

Katsukis face felt inflamed. What the hell was she saying right now? He felt her words sucking the life out of him. He wouldn't survive her mouth.

"I only have a problem when it interferes with studies. Either one of your studies." His mother rattled on.

Shoto listened attentively as she aimed a much calmer lecture at the both of them. It actually felt a bit relieving to be lectured over a mistake from someone other than Endeavor... despite the circumstances.

"I suppose I don't have to have the 'use protection' talk considering you're both boys...well, no you should always practice safety. I never thought about this." She made a thoughtful face.

"Ma...stop." Katsuki groaned desperately. He leaned foward, covering his head. He was going to die.

"Hush. You were both suspended… property destroyed and then out of all that, a budding romance arises?" She waved her hand as if she'd seen it all before. "It's an angsty teenage novel if I've ever seen one. I'm surprised you two got as far as you did honestly. Katsuki liked a little girl in his elementary class once and had to hold her hand during an assembly. He was sweating like a pig and we both know how his quirk works so I'm sure you can guess how that ended. "

Bakugo was hunched over at this point, face in hands, a silent ball of embarrassment. Shoto sat, listening and slightly impressed at her ability to melt her headstrong son into a puddle. No one else probably ever addressed Bakugo's emotions or shortcomings so blatantly in front of him.

Except for maybe Kirishima. But that received a different reaction. He doubted Bakugo would blast his mother across the room however.

"I'm assuming the big fight had something to do with your hotheaded crush." She plucked her son, who sat up in response.

Todoroki cast his eyes down and felt a sudden shame prickle his neck. He hadn't cared about getting himself in trouble that day. He'd come to terms with swallowing whatever consequences came from confronting Katsuki the way he did.

But he hadn't considered the other boy's reparations.

Even if he had, he wouldn't have cared until this moment of kneeling in front of his mother. The last thing he'd want was to upset his own mother, much less someone else's. Now he had to answer that. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to apologize.

"I couldn't help it." Katsuki lied, shrugging. "I never felt this stupid shit before...I didn't know what to do."

Shoto blinked in surprise as his roommate covered for him.

And how sincere the second part of his fib had sounded. Katsuki avoided his gaze,

Mrs.Bakugo plucked him. "Watch your mouth asshole. Blowing your room up sure as hell wasn't how to handle it."

Shoto pulled a face. Bakugo had said similar words to him.

The evening went on with a series of lectures and smacks to the back of one boy's head. Shoto sat quietly throughout his female guest's concerns and scoldings. Bakugo got hit every time he spoke against her and Shoto couldn't help but wonder why he didn't just stay quiet. The similarities between parent and child were astonishing however, so he was probably witnessing the fundamentals of their relationship. As she stood to leave, Shoto offered to walk her out and she chastised her own child for not offering.

"You should be thanking me for talking to the rest of the family and convincing them to let you stay in this school. I won't withdraw you despite what happens because I know this is what you want…" she paused as her son hugged her quietly. Shoto stood by her, seemingly startled at the sudden affection.

Bakugo's mother sighed and patted her son's head before he sat back in his spot on the floor "but Katsuki, don't make me have to come up here and kill you."

"You could try to if you want." Her son smirked at the carpet as he unpacked his makeup work, only to expectantly get pummeled.

"SMARTASS THIS IS WHY YOU CAN'T STAY OUT OF TROUBLE NOW!!"

Shoto walked with Bakugo's mother to the school gate. The sun had set completely set and street lamps lit their way down the empty path. Security greeted them with a nod and prepared to open the thick steel gate.

"I can tell when my son is lying." The calmed blonde woman spoke suddenly. Todoroki looked up to her but she was facing away, watching the gate lower. "You attacked him first, didn't you?"

Shoto staggered, caught off guard with the surprisingly knowledgeable accusation. If she knew, why hadn't she called Bakugo out on it in the dormroom? Was she waiting? She wanted to confront him alone like this?

Did he have a right to complain?

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are. I could see it in your face." Was her simple reply. She didn't sound angry and Shoto struggled to put a finger on the atmosphere.

"I know you had nothing to do with his first fight so he's still in hot water, but…" she sighed. "As much as my boy wants to be the greatest hero, he's always been self-centered and hard headed. Today is the first time I saw him take the fall for someone like that." She turned to him with her hands on her hips.

Shoto watched her soft thoughtful expression. He felt tense and confused. Was she not angry with him? In that moment, her expression reminded him of his own mother. Maybe his mom was thinking of her children when she sat with the same look. She looked accepting.

"It surprised me." She confessed, referring to her child's uncharacteristic fib.

"Me too." Shoto nodded and she laughed.

"Well, I don't know if it's you or this school, but I'm seeing a change in him. I know he can fight like a hero but today I saw him act like one." She smiled. "So I'm fine with things staying the way they are. He has his setbacks but I'm proud of who he's becoming."

She leaned forward and gave her son's roommate a pat on his head. "You two take care. I think you're both just sweet boys beneath it all. I've seen you do well on television. I'm proud of you too."

Todoroki didn't respond, feeling something inside of him stir with her soft touch.

The gate fully opened with a clang and Bakugo's mother walked to the lone waiting car. "Don't break his heart. I'll let him blow you up." She called as she waved over her shoulder. "Be a good boyfriend."

Todoroki nodded silently, catching the serious warning behind her joke.

 _Boyfriend_ …

Todoroki sat in his room quietly, watching Katsuki sit at his low table with a mound of make up work.

Katsuki, in return, would repeatedly look as if he were a moment away from shouting at the other boy. Instead, he ignored the staring and focused on his work.

Shoto noticed this of course and watched further. His mother had noticed instantly something that he was just now seeing. Bakugo was changing...or trying to. The small amounts of restraint he showed were hard to catch, but they were there. Now his mind swam with a range of questions varying from 'why?' to 'for who?'.

Regardless of it's origins, this timely attempt to turn a new leaf may be the only slim window Shoto would have to ask the biggest questions floating on his mind.

"Your mother-"

"Don't talk about it." Katsuki interjected.

"Did you tell your mother we aren't dating?" Shoto ignored.

Bakugo froze, glancing his direction before going back to his work with a frown. "No." Was his curt response.

"Does that mean that we are?"

Instantly unsettled, Katsuki slammed his pencil down with a string of profanities. The day had been one discomfort after another. Todoroki was walking on thin ice with his whole 'self control' phase.

Despite being noticeably out of his comfort zone (blatant misdirected rage), Bakugo has took one lesson to heart. Things were always easier when you dealtwith them head on. "Damnit. What do you want, huh? Did you just want to-" his face flared and he cut himself off. "The Hell is your endgame Todoroki?" he struggled to finish the ends of his sentences while glaring at the boy across the room that watched him stoicly.

"Do you want to date?" Todoroki asked.

" **DO YOU WANT TO**?!" Bakugo snapped back. The table in front of him bounced as he clenched his fists, snuffing the blast he'd subconsciously created. He'd tried to ask first for a reason. He didn't want to be the one answering questions regarding... whatever this was. Ever. Speaking on emotional crap was not his strong suit.

"Yes" Shoto answered. It wasn't until a second later that he began feeling a bit surprised at his own immediate response.

There was a moment of silence in the room as each boy looked down at their own hands in a frozen perpetual state of awkward. The 'yes' hung over them as if it were a physical thing taking up most of the room.

"I want to."

"I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!" Bakugo snapped, his face going red. He leaned into his hands, frustrated and wanting to get back to his work or blow the entire room to smithereens. Either option was a welcome distraction.

"Is that what you've wanted to say from the start?"

"I think so."

"Was that so fucking hard?" Katsuki glowered.

"You're the one who seemed to have the most difficulty with the conversation." Shoto sighed, walking over to his boyfriend. He felt lighter. A bit tired. Maybe satisfied was the word he was looking for.

Bakugo looked to him with a frown as Shoto knelt beside him. "Don't think this means you get to become a smart ass. I'll murder you." He threatened, feeling overly aware of the closeness.

Todoroki nodded. "I won't. Your mother told me to be a good boyfriend." He added, purposely knowing his new partner wouldn't handle it well.

Katsuki flinched hard. She was gone, but somehow still attacking him. He leaned down, putting his hands into his hair to hide embarrassment. "Fucking woman." He felt exposed at the new title given to him.

"I like her". Todoroki smirked.

"Of course you do." Katsuki prepared to tie an insult to the ends of his words. Of course the two people that went out of their way to overwhelm him would be fond of eachother. His thoughts stopped when his classmate leaned on him. His head was heavier than it looked, but warm and comfortable. Bakugo didn't move for a moment, letting his day and circumstances sink in.

He inhaled deeply and went back to his work, satisfaction smoothing his features.


	10. 10

Confrontation is a stand alone story. But I do want to add more. The story "Trial and Error" will be a sequel piece


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